Precipice
by When the Sun Rises
Summary: Twenty years ago, the Haruno Clan was exterminated for carrying the curse of destruction. Sakura Haruno, the sole survivor, heals people with the abilities she has developed over the years to prove herself worthy of existence. One of her trials includes an assassin sent to kill her. The other is trying to survive with him. An ItaSaku story
1. When Everything is Destroyed

Hello, everyone! I can barely contain my excitement as I begin my very first ItaSaku fiction. Not only is it the first novel I'm writing that ships the pairing, but it's also a story that I'm writing with a different production structure than I use with my other works. I'll tell you what it is when it's finished. For now, let's enjoy its beginning.

PS: the setting of the story is slightly different from the universe based on the original anime and manga. For example, some of the characters cast spells instead of jutsus by verbalizing Japanese words relating to each spell they enact. You'll read examples of this in the chapter with the translations at the bottom of the page. More exposition on how spells work will be elaborated in future chapters.

* * *

Sakura trembled in her mother's hold as she and the woman were huddled in the corner of her bedroom. The darkness of the night was able to cover them in concealing shadow, but the room would often be illuminated by flashes of fire. Sakura's mother, Mebuki Haruno, pulled her daughter close to her chest when a fleet of ninjas started running past the window beside them. She narrowed her eyes, watching intently as the last one glanced into the bedroom before following the rest of his fleet.

"M-Mom," Sakura looked up at her, "where's Dad?"

"Shh," Mebuki hushed and rubbed the little girl's back, "he'll be here soon. I promise."

Sakura frowned and cuddled closer to her. The bang of explosions and clang of swords were loud to her young ears, but her arms were too contentedly wrapped around Mebuki's waist to protect them. She could feel her mother's heart beat next to her ear, and it pounded as hard as her own little heart was pulsing. In the darkening tension that was escalating in her environment, it seemed that the only source of serenity Sakura could take comfort in was the patter of rain.

When her father, Kizashi Haruno, quietly rushed into the room, Sakura wanted to reach out and run her fingers through his hair. It was a duller shade of her bright pink hair and stuck out in five directions like a star. Her parents had told her that she took comfort in playing with it since she was a baby, and though she was already six-years-old, she had yet to outgrown the habit. But her father didn't give her a chance to act out the desire, for he quickly ushered them to stand from their crouched positions and follow him out of the room. Sakura didn't expect them to leave their house, however, so she flinched when the cold rain pelted her skin.

"Where are we going, Kizashi?" Mebuki asked. The family had left through the back door of their home and were headed deep into the forest. Sakura would've been excited if the circumstances weren't so dire. Her parents never allowed her to explore the woods.

"There's a boat ready for us at the beach," Kizashi answered.

Sakura's eyes lit up. She had never been on a "boat" before either.

"A boat?" Mebuki asked. "How did we get a boat?"

"It's a friend's," Kizashi told her. "You'll meet him when we get there."

Sakura tightened her grip around her mother's neck as she looked at the sights around her. It was too dark to truly see her surroundings, but she could faintly see glimmers of green from the forest leaves as well as inhale the scent of wet soil. Then an exotic aroma assaulted her senses, and she turned her head in different directions to search where the smell was coming from. She looked forward when a gentle roar started echoing from ahead. What she saw made her eyes widen.

The ocean.

"There it is!" Kizashi pointed to their right.

Sakura squinted and leaned forward. In the closing distance laying on the dark water's border was a small brown boat. She didn't know it was called a "boat", neither did she know the identity of the man standing next to it. He was a tall stranger with lean muscles covered in loose black clothing and half his face covered in the same shaded mask. What intrigued her most about his appearance was his white hair, which was long and stuck up at a diagonal angle.

"Quickly," the white-haired man said as the family stopped in front of him, "before the troops find you."

"Thank you again, Kakashi," Kizashi acknowledged. "We owe you our lives."

Sakura leaped from her mother's arms and into the wooden craft. She brushed her palms on the wet surface of her seat and settled herself as her mother was about to step in.

But then an explosion blasted from the trees of the forest, and what emerged from the resulting smoke was a group of ninjas. Everyone froze when the troop turned to their direction but didn't stay still for long. The warriors concealed in black armor started to charge in their direction with one of them conjuring something red and orange in his hands. The colors then enlarged into a sphere and headed straight for the boat. It was hot and predatorial.

Fire.

Sakura screamed.

"Shirudo!"

The fireball burst into slivers of flame when it collided with a wall of green light. Kizashi had his arms stretched out in front of him; his eyes narrowed in concentration as he pumped energy into maintaining the safeguard. Mebuki rushed from the boat to stand beside her husband and raised her hands in the air. Her dark green irises disappeared into her scleras. When she blinked, they were replaced by glowing white circles.

"Shirudo!" she cast.

Sakura widened her eyes as the ninjas were obstructed by a wall made of the very sand they were standing on. She heard more fireballs being launched in their direction, but their impact was muffled by the surface of the shield. Her parents' combined protection served a great purpose in holding back the attacks, but then something else happened—something they didn't expect. A ninja had climbed over the wall they had created and headed for Sakura with a ball of fire.

"Sakura!" Mebuki cried.

Sakura screamed and shielded herself with her arms. Her eyes squeezed shut and waited for the impact, but the attack never came. Instead, she heard a thump and a grunt. When she looked up, the opposing ninja was on the ground with the masked man standing in front of him.

Kizashi and Mebuki simultaneously sighed in relief and turned to each other. Though the ninjas behind their shields couldn't do what the more dangerous ninja just did, the other ninjas they could hear approaching the area probably did. Their defense might be protecting their daughter now, but with their enemy's numbers increasing by the second, they knew they would have to switch to more offensive tactics. They were two experienced warriors so they could definitely hold their own. Unfortunately, the battle would be a difficult one; and regardless of the outcome, their daughter couldn't be around to see it. The couple looked at each other, a frown set upon their face, and nodded.

"Kakashi!" Kizashi called out to his friend. "Get Sakura out of here!"

Kakashi widened his eyes and turned to him. "No!" he said. "Let me help you!"

"There's too many of them," Mebuki retorted, flinching when another fireball hit the wall. "Kizashi and I will hold them off while you two escape."

"One of you has to go with her!" Kakashi ran up to them. "I'll take the place of whoever goes!"

Kizashi turned to Mebuki, but Mebuki immediately shook her head.

"No," Mebuki said, "this is our battle. You have already risked your life coming into our clan's war to help us. Escape with our daughter and we will meet you when we are done here."

Kakashi stepped back and stared at the both of them. He waited for either of them to negate the other or change their mind, but neither of them looked hesitant. They looked sad, very sad, and like they knew something he also knew but didn't want to acknowledge, but very certain. The man couldn't breathe.

"Kakashi, please go," Kizashi pleaded, "and when you do, tell Sakura that we love her with all of our heart."

Mebuki hissed and closed her eyes, but nodded in agreement.

Kakashi shook his head again, but his will to deny them was diminishing. He took a shaky step back, and then another. Then, after shaking his head one last time, he rushed to the boat. He started pushing the vessel deeper into the water, carrying Sakura with it.

"Wh-What are you doing?" Sakura leaped out of her seat, "what are you _doing_? My mom and dad are still there!"

"They told me to take you somewhere safer," Kakashi hopped into the boat. Then he paused before quietly adding, "they said they'll meet us there later."

He raised two fingers pointed upwards to his chest and muttered "Kaze." The boat thrust forward then, sending them farther into the sea.

Sakura gave him an uneasy look and turned back to where her parents were. To her horror, the shield they had created collapsed right in front of them. Ninjas stormed from all directions, launching themselves at the couple with blades and fire. Kizashi and Mebuki were able to ward some of them off with energy spheres and sand hammers, but the number of opposition was too great, and they were soon engulfed in flames. Sakura screamed and reached out to them, but the boat was too far into the water for her to return.

"Mom, Dad, no!" she shrieked, tears streaming down her face. She ran to Kakashi and pounded on his thigh. "Go back!" she demanded. "Help them! _Save_ them!"

"I _am_ helping them," Kakashi told her, his eyes low and sad, "by saving you."

Sakura shook her head. "No," she whimpered. "No, no, no, _no_!"

But when she turned back, the shore was only a sliver to her blurring vision. The ninjas were no longer anywhere to be found, but so were her parents. Sakura let out a screech of grief and collapsed to her knees. She curled into a ball and cried, the patter of rain being her only source of comfort.

* * *

Shirudo= shield  
Kaze= wind

Translations are suggested by Google Translate. If any corrections need to be made, feel free to leave it in your reviews.

Thank you for reading the first chapter! I'll see you in the next one.


	2. Remember Your Purpose

Thank you, everyone, for your overwhelming support! I didn't expect anything in particular when I published the first chapter, so I was blown away by the results. It was astronomical.

This story is quickly becoming my favorite one to update. The chapters are shorter and, therefore, easier to revise and publish. Check out my profile's author status for story updates while the tale has yet to have its own status slot on my profile. It will let you know how the story is going so far.

You excited? I am. Let's read!

* * *

Sakura smiled as she ascended the stairs with a tray of food in her hands. The tray consisted of a bowl of miso soup, salted saury, eating utensils, and a glass of water. The arrangement seemed very boring and plain to her, but she was more than happy to prepare it. Kakashi had raised her for twenty years. It couldn't hurt to surprise him with his favorite food.

The stairs of the wooden house they shared creaked until she arrived at the second floor. The pink-haired maiden turned right at the first door that greeted her and peeked into the room before entering quietly. Kakashi wasn't sleeping anymore but was reading something very intently. Sakura rolled her eyes when she saw what had captured his attention. It was the seventh volume of Icha Icha Paradise. The crude romance novel had been read countless times, but the white-haired man still read it like it was the first time. Sakura understood his preference considering she also liked re-reading books she considered great. The Icha Icha Paradise series, however, wasn't one of them.

Sakura shook her head and grinned. She stood beside her step-father's bed and patiently waited for him to finish. As much as she wanted him to see what she had made for him, she also wished to preserve the contented look on his face. Kakashi had been bedridden for weeks since he was struck with a disease she had yet to identify. Not only did it make her feel incompetent, but it also made him feel insecure. It was in Kakashi's nature to provide for Sakura and himself, so to have Sakura take care of him and the bills for an extended period was a serious blow to his pride. There was also so much he could do on the increasingly uncomfortable bed in his room. At least, Sakura made sure the small space and the rest of the house were spotless, even when having her clean without his help offended him as well.

The thoughts seemed to have reach Kakashi as well, for he eventually frowned and looked at his step-daughter. Sakura gave him a sly smile and raised the tray to his vision. His eyes lit up when he saw what she had prepared for him.

"Good morning," Sakura leaned forward to place the tray on his lap, "here's your breakfast."

"Miso and saury?" Kakashi queried, looking at the platter. "What's the occasion?"

Sakura shrugged. "No occasion," she said, "just wanted to surprise you."

Kakashi looked at her then and simpered. Sakura could actually see his small smile now that he had his mask off. It was a rare sight to see his awkward beard until he got sick. She was glad to see more of him even when he looked more sad than grateful.

"Thank you, Sakura," Kakashi picked up the chopsticks on the tray. "It smells delicious."

Sakura grinned and stepped back. "You're welcome," she said. "If you're good today, I'll make some more for you after work."

Kakashi was about to take a bite of his fish when she said that statement. He dropped the meal entirely as Sakura turned to the door.

"Sakura."

Sakura stopped right as her hand was on the knob. "Yeah?"

"I," Kakashi scratched his head, "you know what I'm going to say."

Sakura groaned and turned back to face him. "I'm the best medic in the village, Dad," she leaned her back against the door, "I can't just stop treating people because you're scared."

"I'm not scared," Kakashi remarked quickly, "I'm just..." he shook his head, "just..."

"I know," Sakura approached him and gripped his arm with both hands, "but I have to."

"You can help people in other ways," Kakashi told her. "I know a restaurant nearby that needs a pretty face to brighten their customers' day."

"Waitressing doesn't save lives, Dad," Sakura remarked. "Besides, it's not like anyone knows _how_ I save them."

"But that won't keep them from thinking about it, sharing what they come up with with one another," Kakashi said. "What if the wrong person hears them?"

"That's why I have to do this," Sakura insisted. She then sighed again and sat on the bed. Her lower back hit the corner of the breakfast tray as her eyes set upon the ground. "The whole world killed my family because my family can hurt people," Sakura reminded him. "But we could've done so much more, you know? _I_ can do so much more. I can heal people instead of hurt them, and when everyone sees that, they're going to feel bad for what they did." She looked at Kakashi. "I can redeem my clan," she told him. "I can bring peace instead of destruction. Isn't that what everyone wanted? What my parents wanted?"

Kakashi frowned and looked at his cooling miso. "Maybe."

"I just need to take this chance, Dad," Sakura said. "If I don't give myself a chance, who will?"

Kakashi's frown had flattened into a thin line before he moved to kiss her on the head. He combed her pink tresses with his fingers before tucking a lock behind her ear.

"What happened to the little girl I rescued?" he asked more to himself than her, "the one that cried for her parents to come back to her?"

Sakura flinched and turned away. Memories of her past had always pained her, but she hadn't shed a tear since she saw her parents for the last time. The feeling of tears falling down her face reminded her too much of that night. As did rain, which was why she never went outside during a storm. She would do anything to abandon that part of her life, and the best way to leave her past behind was to change herself for the future.

"She became Sakura Hatake," Sakura answered while looking her step-father in the eye, "the village medic, your daughter, and soon, the bringer of my clan's redemption."

Kakashi smiled sadly then and kissed her on the head again. There was no point in trying to convince her any further. They have had this conversation many times before, and the results would always be the same. Kakashi would try to get her to change her career, and Sakura would insist that she did it for her parents and clan. Sometimes he wondered if Sakura blamed herself for her parents' death. Though Sakura never said so, she probably believed that Kizashi and Mebuki wouldn't have died if they hadn't stayed behind to save her. Kakashi could never change what she felt deeply in her heart. He could, however, give her shoulder an affirmative squeeze and tell her to, "Be careful."

Sakura leaned to hug his shoulders before pulling away to look at him. One of the things she planned to do once she arrived at her clinic was to find a cure for his ailment. Kakashi didn't look like he was getting worse, but he didn't look like he was getting better either. His tough, but playful, exterior had mellowed into a feebler persona she never thought she would see on him. Sakura always saw him as her superhero so seeing that he could be as vulnerable as everyone else was...bizarre.

"I will," Sakura told him, and she finally left the room.

~.~

Sakura took a deep breath and released it as she ambled through the busy street of Kaigi. Many shoppers passed her by with baskets of merchandise, and vendors filled the air with promotional cries. Sakura was familiar with the typical atmosphere as well as her routine of nodding and saying hello to those that offered theirs. The people of the street were more familiar with her than she them, and that was because of the reputation she held that cemented her for almost eight years. She was the best medic Konoha, their beloved village, had to offer, and that brought in not only locals to her office but curious or desperate foreigners as well. Her career was not tedious, to say the least. Every day, she would meet at least one person that allowed her a glimpse outside the large village, which she hadn't left since she arrived there.

Once Sakura was face to face with a one-floor building constructed of white walls and a dull orange roof, Sakura picked a key from her small carrier bag and unlocked the main entrance. The white door creaked as she stepped inside. The sunlight permeating through the glass windows illuminated the small waiting room with warm light and the orange walls and green doors separating the chamber from a bigger enclosure beside it.

Sakura flipped over the sign at the entrance to say "open" before closing the entry behind her. The chairs of the waiting room were empty, and there was no one waiting for her outside. It might be a slow day, Sakura guessed. Her clinic wasn't the only one in the village, and there were bound to be some that offered more affordable treatment. Then again, it was only nine o'clock in the morning. Patients usually didn't come until ten or eleven. If Sakura were to be productive that morning, she supposed she could sweep. Not that she needed to since she was meticulous about keeping the area clean; she just needed something to do.

Sakura approached the closet door in the upper right corner of the waiting room and opened it. She reached in to get her wooden broom when the door of the entrance burst open. There was a group consisting of four men there with their eyes immediately locked at the practitioner. When Sakura met their gazes, she noted how one of them was crouched to his knees and barely held up by his companions.

"Are you Dr. Hatake?" the man furthest front demanded.

Sakura blinked. She had never seen anyone with their attires, which consisted of loose blue clothing streaked with golden stripes and matching puffy caps on their heads, before. Sakura thought that their choice of clothing was rather tacky but who knows? Maybe it was fashionable from where they were from. "Yes," she answered.

"My name is Osu Tsuki," the man told her, "my friend requires your expertise."

"Alright," Sakura steadily approached them. She narrowed her eyes to take a look at their fallen comrade. "What seems to be the problem?"

"He might have been poisoned, but we cannot know for sure," Osu informed. "That's why we need you, Doctor. Word has it that you are the best medic in the country."

"O-Oh," Sakura immediately blushed, "w-well I'll be glad to help. Follow me please."

Sakura unlocked the green door behind her and led the group inside. The room they entered was significantly larger than the one they were in. The walls were lined with bookshelves, drawers, and racks filled with multi-colored jars, with the tiled floors illuminated by a small white bulb hanging from the vanilla ceiling. At the center of the room were two single beds separated by four feet of space. Sakura led the group to the left one where they laid their companion on the mattress.

"You can all wait outside as I treat your friend," Sakura told them.

"What will you do to him?" Osu asked.

"I will first determine if his body is performing its primary functions correctly," Sakura answered. "Check his blood pressure and the like. Based on your proposed diagnosis, I might check his blood and urine."

"How long will it take?" Osu asked.

"One or two hours," Sakura answered.

"And that's just the diagnosis?"

"Yes."

The group looked at each other then. They seemed to communicate their thoughts through their gazes in a quick conversation before turning to her again.

"I'm afraid we are in a hurry," Osu said. He clasped his hands over his abdomen and took an earnest step forward. "Is it possible for you to _treat_ our friend in one or two hours?"

Sakura widened her eyes and stepped back. "I-I'm not sure I ca—"

"We've heard rumors of your abilities," Osu took another step forward. "There are many whispers of you healing people with serious, even life-threatening ailments, in a matter of hours—maybe moments!"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Sakura took a step back.

"We won't question why you would keep this secret from the world, but we do plead you execute your miracles now," Osu insisted. "We are from a rich land; we will pay you a handsome amount!"

Sakura shifted in her spot. "I...I don't know."

"Please, doctor," Osu raised his clasped hands to his chin. "Don't allow our friend to die."

That got her. Sakura took a silent breath and struggled to stand up straight. The group looked at her with wide, pleading eyes. They glanced at their fallen companion, who was quickly losing consciousness, and looked back at her. Their intention was to have her follow their gazes, and it worked. Their expressions lit up when Sakura sighed in defeat.

"Alright," Sakura conceded. "Wait outside and tell _no one_ what is going to happen here. Understand?"

"Yes," Osu nodded with the rest of his group as they made their way out of the room. "Yes, yes, of course, of course—thank you, Doctor!"

Sakura nodded stiffly and turned to her patient. "You're welcome."

Once the door had closed, she clicked the exit locked as quietly as possible before approaching their laying comrade. Once she stood in front of him, she relaxed when she saw that he was completely unconscious now. She looked at him, at the door, and back to him. There were no windows in the room, but she looked at all sides of the enclosure to make sure that no one was watching. Once she was certain she was safe, she closed her eyes and raised a hand. Her emerald irises disappeared behind her eyelids. When she opened her eyes again, a white circle lined the space of her scleras. Her hand glowed green.

~.~

"Thank you, thank you, thank you VERY much, Doctor!"

Sakura chuckled as Shoko, the man she had just healed, exited the clinic with his group members. "You're welcome!" she waved them goodbye.

She huffed in content before closing the entrance. She saved a man's life with her miraculous, but secret abilities, and it wasn't even eleven yet. More patients were going to come soon, especially after Shoko's loud gratitude, so she better get her office prepared before they come. If there was anything she loved most about saving lives for a living, it was knowing that her work was something the world was grateful for.

Behind the telephone pole facing the clinic was a man with long black hair and darker black eyes. He was able to glimpse at the doctor waving her patients off before retreating to her office. Pink hair, green eyes, and a gravely ill patient leaving her care healthy in less than three hours? This could be her, the man deduced, but he had to make sure.

He raised his left arm, a kunai with his right hand, and sliced a gash into his forearm.


	3. You Will Be Tested

Hello, everyone! I want to thank you again for the support. This story officially has the most followers out of all my projects. I hope to see more of your reviews as well. I'd love to read what you think of the story so far.

Enjoy!

* * *

A soft aria was being hummed behind the green door of the waiting room when the dark-eyed man entered Sakura's clinic. Though his countenance and behavior didn't indicate it, his left arm was carelessly wrapped in white bandages while blood soaked through the fabric. His eyes narrowed when the doctor emerged from the other room.

"Oh my goodness!" Sakura ran up to him. She grasped his injured arm with both hands and proceeded to unwrap the bandages. What she saw made her inch back. At the softer flesh on the man's left forearm was a gash broad enough to consume a third of his arm and deep enough to expose the meat of his muscles. "What happened?"

"An accident," the man answered. The doctor eyed him expectantly, but he gave no further elaboration. "Can you heal it?"

"O-Of course," Sakura stammered, immediately pulling him into the other room, "this way."

The man noted his surroundings as they entered her office. The waiting room was bright with sunlight, but the next room was irradiated by a single bulb at the center of the ceiling. There were no windows in this area, he discovered. Why?

"Go ahead and sit right here," Sakura gestured to the narrow bed on his right, "I'll get the materials."

The man did as he was told and settled on the stiff mattress. He watched the practitioner gather equipment from the shelves and drawers and place them on a cart that she had pulled from beside her desk. He noted the needles and thread that went inside one of the compartments as Sakura returned to him with the materials. She pulled the cart with one hand and a wooden stool in another. The cart stopped a couple of feet away from him, but Sakura went on with the stool to place it in front of his bed. She sat down on the seat and smiled at him. A white cloth and a bottle were in her hands.

"Your wound is going to need stitches," she told him carefully, "but first we're going to clean your wound. Is that okay?"

The man nodded. Sakura smiled at this and opened the bottle. She dabbed the contents onto the rag and used it to gently pat his injury. She expected him to flinch or recoil despite the liquid's soothing feature, but the patient didn't move a muscle. He only continued to stare at her with the same blank gaze that observed her from the moment they met.

The bed was raised higher than the stool, so Sakura had to tilt her head upward to look the man in the eye. When she saw how attractive he was, however, she focused on his wound instead. She first noted how he was dressed—fitted black long-sleeve shirt with matching pants, black sandals, and a kunai pouch strapped to his upper right thigh. He was a soldier, Sakura deduced. How else could a person seem so accustomed to severe injuries? Then she noted his long face, structured cheekbones, and chiseled jaw. Diagonal lines ran from the top of his nose to the upper corners of his mouth. His pupils were almost non-existent due to the shade of his irises, and Sakura barely withheld a shiver as they caught her green ones eying him from top to bottom.

"S-So," she stammered, hoping to alleviate the rising tension between them, "what's your name?"

"Itachi," she heard him answer. She waited for the last name but didn't hear one. Oh well, Sakura mentally sighed. He didn't seem like the social type anyway.

"My name is Sakura," she returned, "Sakura Hatake."

She felt the man stiffen. When she looked up, he was looking at her more intently. "Who is your father?" he asked.

Sakura froze. She would've answered the question honestly, but there was something about the man and the way he asked that question that made her feel uneasy. His behavior, in general, made her feel uneasy. She suddenly didn't feel safe.

"It...doesn't matter," she looked down. She gave his wound a few more dabs before standing to acquire more items from her cart, "he's dead now." It wasn't a complete lie. Her _real_ father was dead; her step-father was not. But the patient didn't need to know that. He needed to leave.

Fortunately, the man didn't persist. Unfortunately, however, the tension between them rose to a suffocating level. She barely prevented her hands from trembling as she inserted thread through her surgical needle. Her movements were slow as she began to stitch his skin together. It bothered her that the man didn't seem even slightly fazed as the needle went in and out of his skin. If he was a soldier as she had guessed, how dangerous was he?

Soon, but not soon enough, her job was complete. She wrapped the sutured arm in a protective gauze before rising from her seat. She tried to relax her muscles as she advanced to her desk. The man continued to stare at her. He was aware of her discomfort.

"That would be five thousand ryo," she told him, writing her patient's name and injury as well as the time and date he was admitted into a little notebook. Five bills were placed on her desk, and she quickly slipped them into her pocket. "Thank you for visiting my clinic," she thanked as she walked him to the door, "feel free to come back if there are any complications."

To her great relief, there were groups of people sitting in the waiting room. They would be her excuse if the man asked the reason for her erratic behavior. They would also be her witnesses to see how he responded.

The man was quiet as he finally left the facility. Sakura let out a quiet sigh before attending to the first group of people that approached her. She didn't notice his final glance before he disappeared into an alleyway.

~.~

When Sakura returned home to her step-father, it was exactly 7 PM. The kitchen was not far from the living room so the medic could see Kakashi standing over the stove. She smirked when he saw his eyes narrowed at the water boiling in the pot in front of him. He was never a great cook and was probably concentrating on not setting the house on fire.

"Hey, Dad," Sakura greeted, leaning forward to peck him on the head, "what are you cooking?"

Kakashi gave her a quick glance before returning to the pot. "I'm making spaghetti."

"Spaghetti?" Sakura blinked. She looked at the counters at the sides of the stove and searched for ingredients. There were none. "Where are the ingredients?"

"It's," Kakashi looked up. He blinked once, then twice. He too scanned the surrounding counters and found nothing to cook with. He sighed deeply, almost groaned, and stepped back. "I'll just let you cook," he said.

Sakura frowned when he started making his way to the dining table. Then she leaped to catch him when his body dropped to the floor. "Dad!" she cried. She shifted her arms and slowly guided him to sit on a chair. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"It's nothing," Kakashi shook his head though his eyes were no longer meeting hers.

Sakura's frown deepened. It was heart-breaking to see her stepfather this way. Kakashi had spent many years providing for the both of them. She would've felt like a burden to him if he didn't look so happy doing so. His disease wasn't just keeping him from performing his fatherly duties; it was keeping him from achieving peace. Fortunately, Sakura now knew what the disease was and how to fix it. She took a seat on a chair beside his own and gripped his forearm. "I think I've learned what your illness is," she told him.

"Oh," Kakashi slowly lifted his head, "what is it?"

"It's a rare illness chakra-using soldiers like you develop," she answered. "It's when the channels your energy runs through weaken and burst and the resulting leaks cause your muscles and bones to stiffen. Sometimes the disease goes away on its own, but if it doesn't, it paralyzes its host."

Kakashi inched back. His eyes were wide, but he verbalized no fear. "Is there a cure?"

"Only one," Sakura raised her right palm. A wave of green light flowed from her wrist to the tips of her fingers. Kakashi's eyes widened for a fraction before lowering again.

"You have already tried using your abilities," he reminded. "It didn't work."

"But I know a place that might help," Sakura said. She turned to her carrier bag and dug into its contents. Once she found what she sought, she laid the object on the table and unfolded it. It was a map. "There is a spring in these mountains," she pointed to the crests drawn in the upper left corner of the model. "It's half a day away from the village, but if we leave at dawn, we can arrive in the afternoon."

"A spring?" Kakashi scrutinized the paper with narrowed eyes. "How would a spring cure my illness?"

"This is the legendary Fukugen Spring," Sakura explained. "Many say that its waters originate from the center of the earth, where the planet's purest natural energy is stored. Bathing in it will expedite a living being's recovery to its original healthy condition. Your disease's only chance to go away is through time, but who knows how long it could take and if it would go away at all? That's why this spring is perfect for you, Dad. The water will speed up the healing process. If I heal you while you're in it," she raised her right hand again and illumined it with green light, "you might be healed immediately."

Kakashi inched back. His eyes brightened with the rest of his features while a big smile stretched across his face. Sakura's own expression gladdened then. It felt like ages since she saw him smile like that. Then his face fell slightly, and Sakura's diminished as well.

"What?" she asked.

"You just said that this spring is legendary," Kakashi reminded. "What if it doesn't exist?"

"What if it _does_?" Sakura leaned to grip his forearm again. "I've considered it might not be real too, but how will we know if it is or not if we don't see it for ourselves?"

Kakashi looked down. "I suppose."

"I really want us to take this chance, Dad," Sakura told him. "You've been miserable for so long it's starting to hurt me too. I want you to be well and happy again. You deserve it."

Kakashi looked up again. He gazed at her with his tired, baggy eyes, but between his heavy eyelids was a growing glimmer of hope. Sakura's expression brightened again. "Thank you, Sakura," Kakashi nodded. A smile was forming on his face again, "I'll pack for the trip."

"No, _I'll_ pack for the trip," Sakura stood up and held his shoulders down for emphasis. "You stay here and enjoy the spaghetti I'm going to cook for you. If we succeed in our journey, this might be the last day you get to relax."

Kakashi smirked. He really didn't want to waste another day doing nothing, but he admired his stepdaughter's determination. He taught her many things as she grew up, and one of the most important ones was how to take care of herself and the people she cared about.

Sakura huffed contentedly at his submission and turned back to the stove. The water in the pot was really boiling now, so it was a good time to extract the packaged pasta from the cupboards. She was sure she purchased cheese as well, and there might be some pasta sau—

She and Kakashi jumped when a sharp screech pierced the evening air. "Doctor!" a female voice cried from outside the living room window. "We need a doctor!"

Sakura was out the door. On her left, a crowd of people was enlarging at the end of the alleyway three houses away from hers. "I'm a doctor!" she hollered.

The spectators made way for her. When she saw what they were surrounding, she shrieked and cupped her mouth. A man was splayed on the ground with his limbs bent in awkward directions. Blood gushed from the slit of his neck while his eyes, which were devoid of life, were wide and afraid.

The man was Shoko.


	4. You Will Be Threatened

Hello, everyone! I want to thank you again for your overwhelming support, especially the added reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Sakura immediately ran to her former patient's corpse and pinched its left wrist between her forefingers and thumb. She knew there wasn't a point in doing so but did it to appease the crowd. Her trained eyes and extensive knowledge allowed her to know that the man was losing too much blood too fast to still be alive. Despite this, she held onto a sliver of hope that maybe, just maybe, he might be. She had just healed him from a poisoning his body was barely resisting. She didn't think about how he was potentially poisoned, even though the type of the poison and its dosage indicated strongly so. She only thought of saving his life. After all, she believed that everyone deserved a chance to live. She thought she had given him that chance when he left her clinic. She didn't expect to see him again so soon, especially like this.

Sakura swallowed a heavy breath and grimaced before she was pulled back by law enforcement closing the location into a secluded crime scene. Their presence attracted more people to witness the tragedy, making her exit much harder to execute. She was sure the militia would question her as soon as they learned that she was the victim's practitioner; but as much as she wanted to help, she also wanted to leave. Her grimace remained, and her stomach turned in a way that made her want to vomit.

Right before she turned to enter the front door of her small wooden house, she caught a glimpse of something dark in the corner of her eye. On a telephone pole standing across the street was a single black crow. That's strange, Sakura thought. She had never seen crows flying around the village before. This particular one was bigger than she expected, and its eyes were just as prominent. Sakura didn't know why, but the bird looked familiar. Then she paused and shook her head. A crow she had never seen look familiar? She really must be getting sick.

Sakura finally entered her home and shut the entrance behind her. She didn't see the crow's eyes narrowing intently, watching her approach Kakashi and sit grievously before him through their living room window.

~.~

"And," Sakura swept a glowing hand past Kakashi's left shoulder and sat up straight, "done."

Kakashi gyrated his shoulders, testing their movement, and relaxed against his bed's headboard. His body was like a machine which gears have rusted and, after Sakura's treatment, his joints have been oiled. "Thank you."

"You'll need all the strength you can get," Sakura told him. "Tomorrow's trip is going to drain all your energy."

"Are we traveling on foot?" Kakashi asked.

"No," Sakura shook her head, "I've spoken to a relative of one of my patients and he had agreed to take us there by carriage."

"Really?" Kakashi blinked. "When?"

"Before I came home."

"Wait a minute," Kakashi leaned forward, "did you arrange the trip before you asked if I wanted to tag along?"

Sakura cringed and tucked her head, indicating a tell of remorse Kakashi had learned to detect throughout the years he raised her. "Sakura," he grumbled, "what did I say about you making decisions like this without my consent?"

"I'm sorry," Sakura slumped, "I got excited when I learned what I told you and wanted to go to the spring as soon as possible. Besides, I had a feeling you would agree, seeing you being miserable all these weeks."

Kakashi shook his head and sighed. "Well..."

"I'll do things better next time," Sakura assured, "I promise."

Kakashi simpered. "Alright then."

"Okay," Sakura beamed and stood from the stool beside his bed. She then took the seat and placed it against the wall to her right. "I'm going to pack for our trip. Would you like me to do anything else for you?"

"I'll be alright, thank you," Kakashi acknowledged. "Goodnight, Sakura."

"Goodnight," Sakura returned.

She gave him a big smile before jogging to the door. Kakashi smiled as well. She was pale and distressed when she returned from the crime scene earlier. A man had been murdered, she had told him, and he was a patient she had just treated earlier today. Kakashi didn't see her smile again until he had reminded her of their trip. Her mood lifted significantly after that.

Kakashi looked at the clock above the stool Sakura had set aside and saw that it was nine o'clock at night. Sakura had advised him to sleep early, but he always managed to sneak in a few more hours to read his favorite novel series. Tonight was no different. He reached under his pillow and pulled out the seventh book of the Icha Icha Paradise series. He was thirty pages away from the conclusion. If he started reading now, he might finish the—

Kakashi froze. When he turned to the window, a single crow was perched on the windowsill. The first thought that he had was how strange it was to see a crow in Konoha for the first time...ever. The second thought was whether he had seen this particular crow before. There was something about it that called to his memories. He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the creature up and down.

Then the crow started to morph before his eyes; and before he could properly react, the bird was replaced by a tall man with long black hair and darker narrow eyes. The shape-shifter leaned against the wall beside the window and crossed his arms. "Kakashi," he acknowledged, "it's been a long time."

Kakashi staggered back, his book falling on his lap. "Itachi." The last time he had seen the young man was when the man was an eleven-year-old assassin. Itachi had done a great deed for him and Sakura on the night they parted ways, but that by no means meant that he shouldn't be considered a threat. How did he find them and why? And why through his window and not the front door?

"You are ill," Itachi noted. His voice was soft and even, but Kakashi received his words and the hidden tone in them. The tone was of relief.

"What are you doing here?" Kakashi demanded. "How did you find us?"

"I'll be blunt, Kakashi," Itachi stated. His expression remained disturbingly passive when he uttered, "I'm here to kill the girl."

Kakashi stood up straight. His eyes were wide, and his mouth was agape. "What?" he hissed. "But why?"

"She attacked my fellow clansmen and nearly killed my brother," Itachi answered. "A crime like that will not go unpunished."

"What are you talking about?" Kakashi charged. "Sakura never attacked anyone! She never _would_!"

"Dad?"

Kakashi gasped as footsteps dashed up the stairs near his bedroom. When he turned to his right, Sakura was at the door. "Dad?" he heard her call out again. "I heard you yelling; what's going on?"

When Kakashi turned to his left, Itachi was nowhere to be found. The only thing standing near the windowsill was the potted plant Sakura had stationed there. The fern had air-cleansing properties, she had said, which he needed especially now that his breathing had become haggard.

"Dad, you look pale," Sakura quickly approached him. She placed the back of her hand against his forehead and neck and then her palm where his heart was beating. His heart was erratic. "Dad?"

Kakashi didn't answer. Should he tell her about Itachi, he asked himself. It would give her a fair warning, but the silent assassin could be watching them at this present moment. The worst that could happen was a confrontation, and though Kakashi had trained Sakura to defend herself, there was little chance she could defeat someone who started killing people at the same age she started school. And with Itachi's intent on hurting her and his inability to protect her, Sakura was sure to die. He couldn't have that.

If he didn't tell Sakura about Itachi, she was more likely to be caught off-guard, but also less likely to be in need of protection. If Itachi truly wanted her dead, she would have been dead by now. She was unsuspecting, and Kakashi was disabled. Kakashi might not know how long Itachi had been in Konoha, but he was sure it was long enough for the assassin to complete his mission. There was a reason Itachi was postponing his goal, but he might not figure out what it was until Sakura left the room.

"S-Sorry, Sakura," Kakashi apologized, "I've gotten a bit carried away with my reading."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. He was lying. Her step-father had always been a bad liar. But he did have his favorite book on his lap, so he was probably reading it as he had claimed. Sakura shook her head and doubts away then and shifted her concern to another matter. Whatever her adoptive father was hiding was probably a perverse section of his novel, which he shouldn't have been reading at this time of night in the first place. He had an illness that his body needed to recover from. Her abilities could only help so much, but they would help little if he was abusing his body.

"Dad," she scolded and took the book from his lap, "what did I say about reading during bedtime?"

Kakashi forced out a pout. "You talk to me like I'm a child."

"Well then go to sleep like an adult, and maybe you can have your book back tomorrow," Sakura quickly closed the volume and clutched it with her right hand. "Seriously, Dad, you need to rest."

"Alright, alright, I will," Kakashi submitted.

Sakura widened her eyes. She didn't expect him to concede so easily. She had the strange feeling that he might be lying to her again but pushed it aside. If he was telling the truth and her mind was just playing tricks on her, then she should use the time she had just saved to put him to rest. They were waking up early tomorrow, and she wanted him to have the strength to travel.

"Alright," Sakura backed away and turned to exit the room. "I'm turning off the lights. Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight, Sakura," Kakashi returned, shooting her an innocent smile.

The feeling of probable deceit returned in Sakura's mind, but she shook it off once more and departed, switching off the lights and closing the door behind her. As soon as she was gone, Kakashi's deceptive smile faded into a grimace. His neck stiffly started turning to his left, but Itachi's dark voice pierced the air before his eyes could meet him.

"You lied to her," the assassin noted. He was back to his previous position of leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. It was like he never left. "Why?"

"Because we need to talk a little longer," Kakashi glared at him. He was more intent in watching the intruder's movements especially now that they were engulfed in darkness. His voice was also more hushed as not to alert his step-daughter again. "You want her dead, but you're also keeping her alive. Why?"

"You're an old friend, Kakashi," Itachi replied. "When she told me that her last name was Hatake, I assumed you had cared about her enough to adopt her. She wouldn't confirm that you were her adoptive father when I asked, however, so I came here to see you myself."

"Wait, you spoke to her?" Kakashi asked. "When?"

"Today, when she treated my wound," Itachi extended his left arm and pulled back his sleeve. A white gauze was wrapped neatly around his forearm. Its light tan shade was hard to perceive in the dark, but if one looked closer, he or she would know that the bandage needed to be changed. "If you are trying to keep her existence a secret from the world, you're doing a terrible job. I've quickly discovered her through her reputation as the best medic in Konoha. There are also whispers of her uncanny abilities to treat severe injuries and diseases in a matter of minutes or hours. I am sure I am not the only one who has put two and two together. How did you keep her alive all these years?"

Kakashi grunted. He knew Sakura's persistence to use her abilities in her medical career would endanger her, but she never listened. Fortunately for her, Kakashi was adamant on another matter as well.

"I've trained her to protect herself," Kakashi told him, "but because I know that she would never hurt another living being, even if that being threatened her, I take matters into my own hands."

Itachi crossed his arms again. He wouldn't be surprised if Kakashi did what he had claimed to do; he knew enough about him in the past to know that the man was just as dangerous as he was. But his focus wasn't on his old friend and mentor. It was on his step-daughter. "You truly believe she would never hurt anyone?"

"I don't just believe it; I've seen it with my own eyes," Kakashi snarled. "I've told her several times to switch careers to better conceal her true identity, but she doesn't because she wants to help people, not hurt them. She was aghast by what your clan had done to her and her family and would rather die than resort to your practices."

Itachi's expression actually contorted in offense to his statement. His fists clenched between his stiffened arms. "I was the one that helped you sneak your boat into the compounds that night," he reminded. "Don't accuse me of being barbaric."

"Then why are you here?" Kakashi remarked. "Why are you breaking into my home and threatening to kill my daughter?"

"She hurt my brother," Itachi recalled. "You know I would do anything for my brother, even abandon my pacifistic ways."

"But Sakura didn't hurt him," Kakashi growled. "She didn't hurt anyone!"

"She might have done it while you were bedridden," Itachi suggested. "The circumstances are too great to not take advantage of them. What if your step-daughter did exactly that? You cannot tell me she doesn't have a good reason to."

Kakashi grunted. He knew very well what that reason was and didn't need to be reminded of it. "What makes you think that Sakura was the attacker in the first place?" he asked. "What proof do you have?"

"My brother and the clansmen told me that the attacker had pink hair and green eyes, traits the Haruno girl has," Itachi said, "and that she attacked them with wind, water, fire, and earth. Who else in the world could call upon the power of all four elements other than the members of the Haruno clan; and who is the last remaining member of that clan?"

"There must be some mistake," Kakashi shook his head. "If such a confrontation happened here in Konoha, then all of the citizens would be informed of it; and I was notified of no such thing. If it happened outside of the village, then rule Sakura out because she has never been outside the borders."

"It did happen outside of the village about three weeks ago," Itachi informed. "How long have you been bedridden, Kakashi?"

The white-haired man paled. "About three weeks."

"Then I have more reasonable proof that the girl is guilty than you have that she is innocent," Itachi concluded. "Consider yourself fortunate, Kakashi. If the girl was just another target, she would be dead by now; but because she is your adoptive daughter and you care about her deeply, I will allow you the chance to say goodbye. Say everything you want to say because she will die tonight."

Kakashi shook his head. "No," he said, "Itachi, I'm begging you to please have mercy. Sakura has never hurt anybody in her life; much less kill anyone."

"You have already tried to convince me and failed, Kakashi," Itachi told him. "Allow yourself the opportunity I'm giving you before my patience runs thin."

"You haven't even asked her if she did it," Kakashi retorted. "You haven't given her a chance to defend herself! What if she really didn't do it and you ended her life? Could you live knowing you have shed the blood of an innocent person?"

Itachi's jaws hardened. Kakashi knew what his answer to that question was, and it hadn't changed to this day. He never liked harming other people despite how good he was at it. If he had a choice, he would live the rest of his life living in peace among them. But his clan forced obligations he couldn't fight back against. His clan was also the only way he could stay with his brother. It was what justified every assassination he performed. But if the Haruno girl was innocent, as Kakashi had suggested, would killing her be justified then? He wanted his brother to look up to him as a man that only fought to protect the ones he loved. What would he think of him if he killed someone without substantial proof?

Itachi silently sighed. Kakashi was correct. He had yet to ask the girl if she had performed the despicable deed. If she told the truth, then her life would be spared or terminated depending on what she admitted. If she lied, however, he had ways of extracting answers. "Alright," he looked Kakashi in the eye, "I will inquire her myself."

Kakashi exhaled a sigh of relief. His rigid shoulders slumped weakly at his sides. "Thank you."

"But I warn you, Kakashi," Itachi added, "if she harmed my brother, I will show no mercy."

"That won't be necessary," Kakashi told him. "Sakura is innocent. I guarantee it."

"And if she isn't?"

Kakashi shook his head and inhaled a sharp breath. His face had contorted into an expression of pain before he added, "Then I will kill her myself."


	5. If You're Trying to Do the Right Thing

Hello, everyone! I want to thank you for sharing your thoughts about the story in your reviews. They warmed my heart.

A reminder to those who don't know, you can check my profile for updates on the story if you'd like to know how it's going. It doesn't have its own slot in my list of ongoing stories yet, but it will once all the stories in the pending list have been updated.

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When Sakura returned home, the skies were still dark. She supposed it was believable considering she had departed at four o'clock in the morning. She might have left too early, however. The owner of the carriage looked irked to see her at his door. She was afraid he might had changed his mind at that moment, but he quickly granted her his horses and vehicle. Perhaps he wanted to rid of her hastily to return to his bed. Sakura didn't blame him. She promised herself to return the favor as soon as she returned.

Sakura giddily guided two brown horses pulling a darker cart toward the steps of her house. The animals' trotting echoed so loudly through the morning, she vaguely wondered if they had awoken her neighbors. They were sure to awaken her step-father. If so, then it would be his best wake-up call. They were the sound of his resurrection.

Sakura tied the horses' reins to the telephone pole stationed at the edge of her home and ran inside. She didn't hide the excitement that pounded through her every step as the sound of them were bound to build the enthusiasm she wanted to elicit from her step-father. When she entered his room, she expected him to be sitting up on his mattress rubbing his eyes and scratching his head. What she saw instead made her body go rigid. Kakashi was sitting up on his bed, indeed, but he wasn't alone. Standing beside him, almost predatorily, was the tall unnerving man she had treated the day before—the one with the deep gash on his arm. What was his name again? Sakura couldn't recall. It was like she had lost her ability to move and think.

Kakashi forced himself to look at Sakura. "Sakura," he said, "this is Itachi Uchiha."

Sakura almost fell to the ground. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the stranger with a newfound fear. She knew his name was Itachi and that he was possibly very dangerous but would never have guessed his true identity would be this detrimental. The man wasn't just an ordinary soldier; he was one of the soldiers that annihilated her clan.

Sakura gulped. Opening her mouth was difficult; voicing her thoughts was even harder. The thoughts created a storm in her mind that demanded to be spoken, but the only words Sakura was able to stammer was, "Wh-Why...Why are you here?"

Itachi's arms, which were crossed dominantly over his chest, fell to his sides as he approached her. "My clansmen had been attacked about three weeks ago. One of them included my brother," he stood before her. "They barely survived to tell me that the assailant had pink hair and green eyes as well as the ability to utilize the powers of all the elements. Only a Haruno can possess such skills; and as it turns out, the only survivor has pink hair and green eyes."

Sakura stiffened and stepped back. "Wait," she gasped. "Are you..."

"I know who you are, Sakura Haruno," Itachi stated, making Sakura's blood run cold with the name she had abandoned long ago. "You cannot hide any longer. You will pay for your crimes."

Sakura gasped and shook her head. "N-No," she stammered. "There must be some mistake. I never attacked anyone."

Kakashi sighed in relief, but his body was just as frozen as her own. The two of them could only watch in panic as Itachi scrutinized her with his narrow dark eyes. His expression was studious, intense, searching for signs that would determine his next move. "You don't deny being the survivor I have spoken of," he said, "but you deny being the assailant of the clan that annihilated your family?"

Sakura resisted the urge to tremble as Itachi's gaze bore into her. "I will admit to my true identity," she managed to say, "but I will not admit to being responsible for something I didn't do."

Itachi's eyes narrowed, but Sakura's returning stare was getting harder at the second. Fear was disappearing from her irises and was being replaced by something he didn't expect. Was that... anger?

"Only a Haruno matches the description of the attacker," Itachi pointed out, "and you are the last remaining Haruno in the world."

"Oh, you and your clan made sure of that, didn't you?" Sakura remarked.

Her voice was laced with malice no one in the room had expected. She was filled with fear just a moment ago. A possibly dangerous assassin from the clan that massacred her family found her and knew who she was, after all. But his accusations were becoming too insulting to bear any longer. She had spent many years developing herself to be a peace-loving healer, and one of the people that took everything away from her suddenly comes back to accuse her of hurting people so that he would have a reason to kill her? Now that was unacceptable.

Sakura narrowed her own eyes to match the Uchiha's glare. She spent years controlling her temper but learned to utilize its power when a situation called for it. Her fury seemed to have fazed the assassin for Itachi unconsciously stepped back to build distance between them.

"I assisted your stepfather in bringing his boat to the compounds that night," he told her. "I'm the reason you're still alive."

Sakura widened her eyes and gave Kakashi a bewildered look. His expression was depressed but not dismissing. Was what the Uchiha saying true?

"But if sparing your life is the reason my brother was nearly killed," Itachi continued, "then I will not hesitate to correct my mistake."

Sakura whipped back at the man and scowled. "I didn't hurt your brother," she announced. "How do I know what you're saying is even true? What if your clansmen are just fine, and you're just here to finish what they started?"

It was Itachi's turn to glare at her. His expression had yet to express anger until that moment. How could the girl accuse him of duplicity? He had seen his brother's dying body with his own eyes; there were no lies to be taken from what he had witnessed. Then again, he couldn't deny that the Haruno had a point. He might have seen his brother and his clansmen's beaten bodies, but if the girl was telling the truth, she hadn't. And she wasn't wrong about his clan hunting her down. There was a bounty on her head.

"I can easily show you the injuries my brother and clansmen had sustained," Itachi said, "but you cannot prove to me that someone other than you was responsible for their casualties."

"What if I can?" Sakura challenged. "I can show you my log book. You had seen it when I treated you in my clinic. Read any date from it and you will see that I was too busy healing people and not hurting them."

"Alright," Itachi leaned forward, "let me see it."

"I'll show it to you after I treat my father," Sakura remarked. "We were just about to leave until you broke into our house."

Itachi frowned. The girl was rather rude when she was mad. He was threatening to kill her yet there she was, setting conditions for him to follow. He should've been frustrated at her stubbornness but, strangely, he was feeling a mixture of other emotions he didn't expect to feel. Confusion, curiosity, and perhaps a little bit of intrigue.

"How am I to know you and Kakashi wouldn't just run away?" he asked.

Kakashi eyed them warily. It was the only thing he could do now that his body was stiffening. Sakura seemed to have noticed his discomfort for her eyes widened before returning to the Uchiha.

"Come with us," she suggested. "I promise I will show you that log book but for now, I need to cure my father. He's sick."

Itachi glared at her, at Kakashi, and then back at her. Kakashi had told him that the two were going to a spring half a day away from the village. He wasn't sure if he wanted to accompany them on such a journey but if it would bring his brother's attacker to justice, he would do it. Also, if the Haruno was truly guilty of her crimes, he would use the voyage to kill her in isolation.

"Very well, Haruno," Itachi nodded, "let us go."


	6. You Will Be Punished

Hello, everyone! Here's the next chapter of this wonderful, wonderful story. I'm so happy you're just as excited for each update as I am. This particular one will...eh, I don't want to spoil anything. You'll just have to read and find out.

Enjoy!

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Itachi maintained a watchful eye as Sakura loaded the carriage with several bags of what he expected were food and supplies. He didn't know why she would pack so many items for a short journey, but perhaps she was more assiduous than he had anticipated. He was still fascinated at the traits he was discovering in her. He had always wondered how the survivor of a tragedy she had faced would grow up to become. He expected to meet someone more bitter or vengeful, especially in the face of one of her enemies. What he found instead was a woman that claimed to live for peace. Whether she had convinced him or not, he couldn't say.

After the bags have been properly stored, Sakura returned to her house and emerged with Kakashi. Kakashi was dressed in his usual black attire but had a brown blanket draped around his shoulders and a cane in his right hand. Despite the return of his mask, Itachi could still see the humiliation on his face as Sakura guided him to the cart. Sakura herself remained in her light green dress but tied her long hair into a high ponytail. She cast Itachi a glance before helping Kakashi up the vehicle. Itachi listened to the conversation that ensued.

"Let me guide the horses."

"It's okay, Dad, I got it."

"No, give me the map. I'll do it."

"Ugh, fine."

Itachi approached the carriage. As Kakashi had requested, the masked man was sitting in the driver's seat clutching the reins. Sakura settled in the spot beside him and turned to the Uchiha. "Ready to go?" she asked.

"Yes," Itachi answered.

Sakura tensed when Itachi hopped into the vehicle. The assassin sat at the back of the cart, his arms crossed and his eyes glued to the people in front of him. It took all of Sakura's courage to turn her back to him and look at her step-father. Kakashi didn't look back at her, but she didn't expect him to. Whether he would admit it or not, Kakashi was just as afraid as she was.

When the horses trotted forward, Itachi intensified his focus. He also made sure to eye his surroundings to make sure they weren't being watched or followed. The carriage swept through miles of houses and yards before finally entering the dirt path leading away from Konoha. The sun was bright and visible in the cloudless sky, so the travelers were beaten down with rays of heat.

Sakura removed Kakashi's blanket and put it aside. She might've forgotten Itachi's presence for a moment, for she wrapped an arm around Kakashi's shoulders and pulled him close to her. She pressed her lips against his temple and stared at the road ahead of them.

Itachi's shoulders reflexively loosened. He had only seen such an intimate act when he had to kill two or more people at once, and the targets were fearfully waiting for his execution. When he witnessed the Haruno girl embrace her guardian, however, the action seemed different. She wasn't holding her step-father because she was afraid. She was holding him because she loved him and wasn't ashamed to show it.

When two long hours have passed, it was about thirty minutes before nine o'clock. Everyone had yet to have breakfast; and though Sakura and Itachi didn't look as affected by it, Kakashi was showing visible signs of weakness. The masked man's head and shoulders were depressed, and his body swayed like it was going to tumble. Sakura, as Itachi had expected, rushed to one of the bags she had packed and offered her step-father a loaf of bread. What surprised Itachi was that she offered him one as well.

"Eat one," Sakura ordered softly.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Is it poisoned?"

Sakura's face contorted offendedly, and then quickly amended to one of indifference as if realizing it shouldn't have been surprised. "I made these for my father last night before I knew you were coming with us."

"There's a chance you could have tampered with this one without my knowledge," Itachi pointed out.

Sakura frowned. "You really think I would poison you."

"Why shouldn't I?" Itachi asked. "My clan had killed your family, and you might have almost killed my brother."

Sakura's frown deepened, and she pulled the bread back to her person. Itachi waited for her to confess that he had caught her red-handed, but she instead asked, "Do you think what they did was right?"

"Do you mean..."

"Do you think it was right for your clan to kill mine?" Sakura questioned. "Do you think my clan deserved to die?"

Itachi's jaws hardened. "The Haruno Clan was a danger to mankind," he explained. "My clan did what they did to preserve peace among the land. I don't agree with their methods, but I agree with their intentions."

"Is that why you kill people?" Sakura went on. "To achieve peace? Do you believe peace cannot be achieved without death?"

"I don't kill because I want to," Itachi remarked, his voice laced in bitterness struggling to be withheld. "I kill because I have to. Peace cannot be attained with evil present in this world. You cannot accuse me of being the villain if I am only protecting the people I love."

Sakura sighed. Then, surprising him again, gave him a sad smile.

"If you don't think my family and I can ever be more than evil," she said, "how can I believe for one second that you are good?"

Itachi widened his eyes, but before he could respond, Sakura had turned around to return to her guardian. He caught Kakashi glancing back at him before giving Sakura a consoling look. Sakura did indeed appear unhappy but forced a smile to assure her guardian. She took a bite of the loaf she had offered Itachi to prove her point, and Kakashi slowly returned to the road to show that he believed her. At least, pretended to until she was actually fine. That was when Itachi started to feel an emotion he had suppressed many years ago.

Hesitation.

~.~

When two more hours passed, the carriage had stopped by a small lake to give the horses a chance to rest and replenish themselves. Kakashi was sitting by the lake with his feet in the water, Sakura was eating her share of bread beside him, and Itachi was sitting on a tree branch overlooking the area. The assassin's eyes have yet to leave the Hatakes, and the duo was far from oblivious from it.

"Dad," Sakura rubbed Kakashi's back, "are you alright?"

"Not until I regain my strength," Kakashi quietly remarked. "Regardless of what Itachi says, we are both in danger unless I've regained my ability to fight back."

"He said he helped you rescue me...on that night," Sakura reminded. "Is that true?"

Kakashi's shoulders stiffened. Sakura blinked and eyed his masked expression.

"Yes, it's true," Kakashi confirmed. "He not only helped me sneak the boat into the compounds, but he also notified me and your father of the attack beforehand so we could properly prepare."

"But why?" Sakura asked. "Isn't the Uchiha Clan the enemies of the Haruno Clan?"

"Itachi was different from them," Kakashi said. "He might have been a prodigy and a well-respected soldier, but he was also a bit of a rebel. It's what I had always admired about him. Not because he was rebellious, but because he knew what the right thing was and stuck with it."

Sakura's mouth parted slightly. "What was the right thing?"

"To live without violence," Kakashi answered, "to live in peace."

Sakura couldn't help but gasp. Itachi told her earlier that he didn't like causing harm to others. To hear this from Kakashi, however, was a different experience.

"If he wanted peace so much," Sakura noted, "why did he become an assassin?"

"To obey his clan's orders," Kakashi answered. "If he didn't do what they asked him to do, he would be executed. Itachi doesn't fear death, but he does fear leaving his brother alone."

"His brother?"

"Sasuke," Kakashi said, "that's his name. Itachi loves Sasuke more than his own life. He would do anything for him, even abandon his pacifistic ways."

"A...pacifist?"

"I know it's hard to believe," Kakashi admitted, "but I've known Itachi and his brother since they were very young. Violence at an early age should've corrupted Itachi, but it only made him yearn for a peaceful life. He will only hurt if necessary, and it's usually for the sake of his brother."

Sakura inched back. "That's why he's so determined to kill me," she realized, "he thought I hurt his brother."

Kakashi didn't say anything then, and neither did Sakura. A moment of silence passed between them before the sound of the horses laying on the ground caught their attention. Their trip so far had exhausted them. Sakura knew this and moved to sit behind Kakashi. "I'm going to treat you," she said.

"Now?" Kakashi asked. "You should rest as well."

"I'll rest after I treat you," Sakura stated. She gave him a look for emphasis, and Kakashi smirked. She had inherited his stubbornness.

Itachi watched curiously as green light coated the doctor's palms. Kakashi and Sakura seemed to have forgotten he was there as Sakura's hands worked their way through her guardian's body. Kakashi closed his eyes and relaxed as Sakura's energy soothed his tense muscles. Sakura smiled all the way through until Kakashi's body swayed slightly, and she guided him under one of the trees surrounding them so he could sleep on a mat she had prepared for him.

Itachi didn't deny that he was fascinated by the procedure. He became even more amazed as Sakura made her way toward him. He tensed when she swiftly climbed to the branch he was sitting at and prepared to strike, but the woman only sat beside him and used her arms to steady herself. She didn't look at him, and he watched her intently.

"What are you doing?" Itachi asked.

"My dad said you used to be a pacifist," Sakura said, her eyes cast on the glittering lake below them. "Is that true?"

Itachi narrowed her eyes. Kakashi had spoken of him. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you saved me and tried to save my parents," Sakura answered. "No one has ever done anything so kind to me, especially a dangerous killer."

Itachi frowned and looked away. "I am still a pacifist," he stated.

"Just not when it involves your brother," Sakura added.

Itachi turned back and glared at her.

"It's okay, I understand," Sakura told him. "People will do anything for the people they love. Even kill..."

Sakura sighed and looked down. Her expression was tired and sad. She glanced at Kakashi, who was napping peacefully under the tree she guided him too, to the horses, who were also sleeping soundly, and then back at the lake. Itachi continued to watch her intently.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For helping us," Sakura answered. "Things may be different now, but...at least you have given me a chance to live at all."

Itachi didn't know what to say. Even if he did, he wouldn't speak. He couldn't.

Sakura gave him a smile, a sad but genuine smile, and hopped off the branch. She walked toward the lake and stood in front of it. After gazing at her reflection, she started walking off. Itachi was at her side in an instant.

"Where are you going?"

"I want to walk around," Sakura answered without stopping. "I won't go far."

"I'll come with you," Itachi declared.

"Alright."

Itachi blinked as Sakura walked on impassively. No fear nor bitterness was shown on her face—just the same look he had seen on her earlier: sad and tired.

The doctor and assassin continued to walk together until Sakura turned toward the wall of trees. Itachi frowned and followed. He couldn't discern why she was further isolating them from the clearing and searched for a sign that could give away her plan. She didn't seem to have one.

"What are you planning?" Itachi questioned.

Sakura blinked and turned to him. "What?"

"Why are you heading deep into the woods?"

Sakura stopped and looked around. Itachi tried not to believe that she was just as surprised as he was. "W-Wow," she stammered. "I didn't realize we were coming here."

Itachi gave her a look of disbelief, which Sakura caught.

"You thought I was planning something?"

"This behavior isn't normal," Itachi stated. "I am not a fool. You may try to pretend otherwise, but we are enemies. Whatever you're planning will not work, I assure you. I am stronger and smarter than you realize."

Sakura gave him a sly smile. "I have no doubt that you are."

"You truly expect me to believe that you have no hidden intentions?"

"I don't expect you to believe anything I say," Sakura commented. "I don't expect anything really."

"Then explain to me why you are behaving this way," Itachi invited. "Try to convince me."

"To be honest," Sakura admitted, "I just want to heal my father. It's difficult to think about anything else."

"Even the fact that one of your enemies is standing right in front of you?" Itachi asked.

"You may not see the good in me," Sakura said, "but I see the good in you."

Itachi stepped forward, trying not to do so stiffly. "And if I fail your expectations?"

"I still have to take that risk," Sakura remarked. "After all, if I don't believe there is good in others, how can others believe there is good in me?"

Itachi was silent.

"Also," Sakura tilted her head, "it's not like you're going to leave us alone anytime soon. I might as well make peace with it."

Itachi scowled as Sakura started making her way back to their camp. They traveled enough distance to be far from it but close enough to keep it in their line of vision. The Haruno girl was...strange, Itachi admitted. She seemed harmless, yet he couldn't bring himself to let his guard down. He never encountered anyone like her before. He didn't know how to react.

Suddenly, a fireball was thrown in Sakura's path, throwing the doctor backward. Sakura gasped and quickly returned to her feet, staring at the tree burning at her place.

"We finally found you."

Three men appeared and obstructed their path. They wore loose blue clothing with golden stripes and matching puffy caps on their heads.

"You didn't make it easy, Haruno," one of them started walking toward her, "but we're glad you did. It'll be a lot easier to kill you here."

Sakura widened her eyes. "O-Osu?"

"How sweet; you remember my name," Osu taunted. His companions followed closely. Then Osu noticed Itachi standing near Sakura, and his eyes lit up.

"Sir Itachi!" Osu greeted. "What an honor to meet the legend himself."

Sakura's head immediately whipped to Itachi, who didn't look pleased.

"I apologize for butting in like this," Osu bowed, "but perhaps we can kill her together! The bounty will be big enough to share, and it would be an honor to work with such a prestigious professional."

"I work alone," Itachi made his way toward them, "and she's mine."

Osu frowned. His constituents frowned as well.

"But you don't understand, sir," Osu took another step forward. "We got one of our own sick just to prove that the girl is who she is."

Sakura gasped. "You poisoned Shoko..."

"Killed him too," Osu said almost proudly. "The fool was going to warn you and ruin our cover. Fortunately, I'm experienced enough to know what to do with people who don't know how to listen to directions."

Sakura cupped her mouth, trembling.

"I said to stay back," Itachi commanded.

Osu growled. His companions leaned forward, but he held his arms out to restrain them.

"I will have my bounty," Osu stated, "and you're not going to stop me."

In a blink of an eye, a fireball was launched from Osu's hand and headed toward Sakura. In a blink of an eye, a figure leaped into the air and intercepted the attack. It then fell to the ground, engulfed in flames.

Sakura gasped. "Dad!"

Sakura ran toward Kakashi, but the man was burning too fast. She placed all of her energy into her hands and fell to her knees. Right before she could touch him, however, Kakashi dissolved into dust.

"No," Sakura shook her head, "no, no, no, no, _no_!"

Her fingers landed on the ashes. She clenched her fists, lowered her head to the ground, and screamed.


	7. And Pushed to the Edge

Hello, everyone! The next chapter is finally here. I apologize for publishing it so late. I'm not going to lie; I am incredibly stressed out right now. Summer depression is really taking its toll on me, and I'm fighting battles I'm barely winning. Nevertheless, I'm staying strong and keeping my stories just as active. Feel free to check out my profile to see how I and my stories are doing.

* * *

Itachi widened his eyes. When his head whipped to Osu and his companions, they appeared surprised but not remorseful.

"What have you done?" Itachi marched forward with his eyes blazing with anger. "I told you to retreat!"

Osu's surprised expression morphed into an angry one. "I didn't ask for whoever that was to intercept my attack," he said, "and I will most definitely _not_ retreat! I _will_ get my bounty!"

"You'll have to get through me first," Itachi grasped the handle of his sword.

Osu smirked as his companions leaned forward. "Very well," Osu huffed. "You're next."

The trio charged with their selected weapons, knowing their fire wouldn't hurt him. Itachi studied their movements as he unsheathed his sword. They were rash and uncoordinated, he noticed. If he timed his attack right, he could take them out with one swipe.

But then he sensed movement from behind him, and then above him. A flash of pink and green soared through the air and landed in his path. What happened next made his back hit the ground. Osu and his companions screamed in terror as the earth opened and swallowed them whole. They clawed the air to hold on to something but were then engulfed by something else.

Water.

Itachi quickly rose to his feet. The only reason he too didn't fall to his death was that the fissure started a distance away from him. Specifically, below Sakura's fist. Her irises were no longer emerald but replaced by two white circles. The rift had extended to the lake, which waters were rushing to drown their enemies' screams. Itachi spotted fish flopping helplessly on what was becoming a large puddle. No matter where the waters went, he realized, someone was going to die.

Sakura stood up. When Itachi approached her, he watched her eyes return to emerald irises. He then watched them fill with fear.

"Oh...oh no," Sakura staggered back. "What...what have I done?"

Itachi slowly approached her as she fell to her knees. After a weak attempt to resist, she released a gush of vomit. Her lips trembled as what she had eaten dripped into the watery graves of her attackers. She didn't dare look at the ashes that used to be her guardian. Even after his horrific fate, she was almost glad he wasn't able to see what she had done.

Itachi stood in front of her and looked down. What he witnessed sent him into a swirl of conflicting emotions. He was finally seeing the killer the world made Sakura and her clan to be, and yet...he wasn't.

Sakura's head whipped to him, revealing the darkest eyes he had ever seen.

"K-Kill me."

Itachi stepped back.

"I've lost everything I have and now," Sakura trembled, "I'm finally the monster everyone said I'd become. So kill me...stop me."

Itachi didn't know what to say, what to think, and how to react. His eventual response, surprising Sakura and himself, was anger.

"No."

Sakura widened her eyes.

"You claim never to take the life of another, but you won't hesitate to take your own?" Itachi clenched his fists. "You are a liar!"

Sakura inched back. The assassin had portrayed himself to be calm and collected; she didn't think it was possible for him to be anything else. It didn't seem like Itachi did either, for once he realized what he had done, he took another step back. Neither of them knew what to say after that. One thing was for sure, however. They had to get out of there.

"Let's...go back to the village," Itachi managed to say. He stiffened when Sakura suddenly rose and ran from the scene. He was too stunned to move until their growing distance forced him to follow her.

When they arrived at their resting area, however, the horses were nowhere to be found. This seemed to have devastated Sakura even more for she went to the edge of the lake, sat down, and lowered her head to her hands. Itachi scowled. The horses weren't hers, he remembered; they were only borrowed.

"I'll retrieve the horses," he volunteered, almost relieved he could fix the situation. "I will return shortly."

Sakura said nothing. She only kept her back to him, her eyes gazing at the draining lake in front of her.

~.~

When Itachi returned with the horses, which wasn't a difficult task for him considering his profession, Sakura was still sitting at the edge of her disaster. He secured the animals at a nearby tree with a rope and eyed her hunched position. He didn't know what had possessed him to do such a thing, but he then made his way to her and sat on her left. The skies were blanketed with thick clouds that covered the sun. It might rain soon.

"When my father first rescued me," Sakura started suddenly, not seeming to mind his presence, "I was so angry at him. I didn't appreciate what he did to help my parents and save me; I was just...so MAD that he took me away from them and left them there to die."

Itachi frowned and listened intently.

"One time, he was trying to get me to do something. I don't remember what, but I refused to do it. Then, when he got a little closer, I scratched him in the eye. That's how he got that scar on his left eye. It was my fault."

Itachi's frown deepened.

"It was the first time I've felt anything other than anger for him," Sakura took a shaky breath. "It was also the first time I became scared of myself. I remembered the monsters that ruined my life and how at that moment, I was no different from them." She coughed, covered her mouth with a fist, and shook her head. "The worst part was, he wasn't even mad at me. He only cupped his eye, gave me that sad, pitying look I hated, and told me he forgave me. Then he raised my hand to his wound and the next thing I knew, the wound became a scar. It was the day I discovered I could heal people, but he knew it before I did."

Itachi's expression softened. He blinked twice and swore he was looking at a different person.

"I mastered my abilities years after that, but no matter what I did, he would never let me erase that scar," Sakura went on. "He told me it was a reminder of when we finally got along and...a sign that I wasn't...a monster. Yes, I could hurt people, but I could heal them too."

She inhaled a sharp breath and leaned back. The clouds were darker and heavier. When she looked up to see them, a drop of water fell on her cheek. More droplets fell from the heavens until finally, the setting was engulfed in a thundering shower. Both Sakura and Itachi were drenched by the rain, but neither made a move to evade it.

Itachi's sharp eyes caught every drop that fell on Sakura's face and noticed that not each one came from the sky. He knew she was crying, but didn't know it was the first time she had done so in twenty years.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this," Sakura shook her head. "You probably don't care about anything I say but...I don't know."

Itachi was, once again, lost for words. What was it about this woman that left him speechless?

"I…" Sakura took another breath, "I think...I need to be alone."

Itachi immediately tensed. "You were alone when I retrieved the horses."

"I know, but," Sakura looked ahead, "I just...need to think, okay?"

"We need to find shelter."

"It's actually been a while since I've been under the rain," Sakura told him. "I would like to be alone with it."

Itachi frowned but couldn't deny her any longer. She had just lost her stepfather, after all. It was understandable that she needed time and space to cope with her sudden loss. And if he were to be completely honest with himself, he needed time alone as well. He seemed to be losing his senses and needed to regain himself. Maybe solitude was something they _both_ needed right now.

He gave her a silent nod before watching her walk into the forest. He didn't overlook the drained lake, nor the fissure that changed everything.

~.~

The longer Sakura traversed in the rain, the less pain she found herself feeling. She finally realized what some people meant by saying the rain could wash away sorrows. She had wondered why she had avoided it, feared it even, but didn't realize why until she returned to the ashes of her stepfather. She felt guilty for not giving them a proper burial and then remembered why she didn't. Looking at the remains alone gave her so much pain, she didn't dare touch them. Her stepfather, the parent that had been there for her longer than her original parents were able to—the one that taught her how to be strong enough to find hope in an unmerciful world—was dead. Who would she come home to this time?

Sakura thought she could finally end his suffering today. They were close, so very close. She couldn't save her clan; she couldn't save her parents—she could've at least saved her stepfather. But no, she bitterly thought. He had perished before she could help him, and it was to save her life. Had her parents not died for the same reason? How many times do people have to die until she finally accepted her fate?

Sakura looked at the cliff before her and clenched her fists. She thought she could bargain with destiny by doing good, but what if the truly good thing to do was the one what she had been evading all along? She denied the inevitable, and people died because of it.

When Sakura looked down the long ravine, she watched the rain cascade to the foggy blanket below. She couldn't see where those raindrops would end up in, but there was one thing for sure. They were meant to fall, just like her.

She took a step toward the precipice, closed her eyes, and then took another step.

~.~

Itachi didn't know how long it had been since Sakura's departure but had the sudden urge to look for her. Something was wrong; he already knew that much, but the longer Sakura was unseen, the more he felt that something had to be done.

So he set off from under the tree he was sheltering himself from the rain with and took off to the woods. He found the tracks Sakura had left behind, broken leaves and grounded dirt for example, and arrived at her location within seconds. It was a wise tactic he had applied many times before, but what he saw next made him act on instinct. Sakura was standing at the edge of a cliff, looking down at the unknown bottom. Then, to his unexpected horror, she stepped into the emptiness.

Sakura gasped when two arms pulled her back. She expected her back to hit the dirt, but it hit someone's chest instead. She was still in the person's grip, making it hard for her to move. Then she realized who was holding her, and what he stopped her from doing, and started to flail.

"Let me go!" she cried. "Let me go!"

Itachi grunted as she thrashed and screeched for her release. But he wouldn't relent. He might not know why but didn't care; he would not let her end herself.

"Let me go," Sakura's voice started to crack. Her movements were becoming sluggish as weariness overcame her body. "Please…"

Itachi adjusted himself, so they were sitting up. He kept his grip around her tight in case she tried to resist again and was relieved when she didn't. Through the cold rain pelting him, he could feel something warm trickling down his collar. Thin fingers gripped the fabric of his shirt as a form smaller than his own snuggled closer to his hold. He was more confused now than he ever was before, but he suddenly didn't want to think anymore. He pulled Sakura closer as they sat in the afternoon rain.


	8. So Take a Step Back or Two

Hello, everyone! I would like to thank **cherrypie29** and **Y** for your understanding in regards to my condition. Your kind comments made me feel a lot better after I read them. For everyone else, I'm also grateful for the support you give me through reviews, favorites, and follows. I'm glad you're enjoying this story as much as I am and gladder that it touches your hearts just as it touches mine.

Enjoy this chapter! This one's for all of us.

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"Why did you save me?"

Itachi turned to Sakura, whose eyes were still locked onto the path in front of them. The only reason she was sitting beside him was to avoid the inevitable conflict that would ensue if she was out of his sight. They haven't spoken a word since he had postponed her death and embraced in the cold rain. When he had finally released her, he watched her keenly so she would go back to the site and only the site. She then hopped into the carriage after harnessing the horses and waited for him, and he boarded the vehicle to commence the journey they were currently undertaking. The silence that had built a wall between them was so thick, Itachi didn't think she would ever speak to him. But she was, and with words he didn't expect her to ask so soon.

"You wanted to kill me from the beginning," Sakura continued. "Why stop me when I was going to do the job for you? Did you want to kill me yourself?"

Itachi cringed. "Suicide is not an acceptable answer, no matter how horrible the situation is."

"But what if suicide is the _only_ answer?" Sakura remarked. "Everyone that has protected me ended up getting killed. If you start protecting me too, you'll end up dead too."

"You will _not_ be the one that kills me," Itachi stated. "I assure you of that."

Sakura sighed, too exhausted physically and mentally to continue their conversation. The trip back to the village was quick but agonizingly awkward. The sun, which was barely visible through the gray clouds, was halfway toward the horizon when Sakura and Itachi arrived at Sakura's clinic. What they saw was something they didn't expect. The entire building was barricaded with tape and guarded by police officers. The officers advanced to the carriage as the vehicle slowly came to a stop.

"Sakura Hatake?" the probable leader of the group called out.

Sakura winced. "Y-Yes," she confirmed, "what...what happened to my clinic?"

"There seemed to have been a break-in," the officer explained. "Come with us; we'll walk you through it."

Sakura took a shaky breath before slowly exiting the carriage. She was about to follow the officer when she realized that Itachi was accompanying her. The other officers approached the carriage and assured her that they would watch the vehicle, but that didn't alleviate her worries. Itachi really wasn't going to let her out of his sight, she realized. Then again, the log book she promised to show him was inside the clinic. Maybe he would leave when she finally showed it to him.

With that in mind, she followed the officer inside the building. She couldn't help but slow down, however, when she saw the damage. The waiting room's chairs were tossed carelessly from place to place and contents from the cleaning closet were scattered at the front of its door. Her office and treatment room was much worse. Every furniture, medicine, and tool were not just scattered but broken and shattered. The scent of drugs assaulted her senses, and she was grateful none of them were toxic enough to prompt a quarantine. But of course, any alleviation to her rising anxiety was diminished when she realized how much damage the break-in had caused to her livelihood. The casualties were too expensive to reimburse, and the time it would take to repair the damages would take too long to presume a stable business.

When Sakura was allowed to search for what was stolen, she was grateful that her income wasn't stored in the location. The logbook was, however, and it was gone.

"We will investigate who is responsible for this horrendous crime," the officer spoke out determinedly. "Do you have any clues as to who could have done this?"

Sakura's mouth was too dry to speak at first. She had to take a long, deep breath before her words managed to slip past her lips. "We need to speak privately," she said.

And with that, she and Itachi were escorted to the police station. The carriage was returned to its original owner as the couple departed from the scene. Upon arriving at the location, Itachi stood outside the room where Sakura was being interrogated and memorized her answers. Sakura told them as much as she could muster, like how Osu and his companions were probably responsible for the break-in to find and use her log book, which was also part journal, to track her down.

"Why were these Uchiha men after you?" the officer asked.

"They wanted my money," Sakura lied. "They probably thought I had a lot of it because of my profession."

"And your father?" the officer continued. "Where is he?"

Sakura took a haggard breath and closed her eyes. "I...don't know," she said. "He told me to run away when the Uchihas confronted us." It was okay to tell them this, she told herself. She was the only one that knew about her stepfather's disease. Everyone else thought he was just taking a vacation.

Itachi was questioned soon after Sakura was, but because he retained and repeated her answers, their stories checked out, and they were released without any trouble. The police would investigate the area they had told them about and find Osu and his companions decaying in the crevice. If they didn't mistake Kakashi's ashes with just another thing that got burned in the crossfire, they would see Kakashi's remains as well.

"The logbook is gone," Sakura stated as the two walked into town.

"I know," Itachi responded.

"What are you going to do now?" Sakura asked.

"I don't know," Itachi admitted, "but I'm not leaving you alone."

Sakura frowned and turned to him. "Why?"

"Because you have that look again."

"And what look is that?"

"The look of someone that lost everything."

Sakura clenched her fists and took a deep breath. As irritating and confusing as the assassin was, he wasn't wrong. She had lost not only the last family she had left, but she had also lost her means of livelihood. She also lost her purpose to be alive somewhere along the way, and she would've done something about it if it wasn't for the Uchiha's insistence to stay. The question was, why did he care so much? Didn't he want to kill her earlier? What changed?

The two continued to walk aimlessly until a voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Sakura!"

Sakura turned behind her to see Mr. Masu jogging up to them. He was an old man in a farmer's attire, but Sakura knew him as the owner of the horses she had borrowed today. Because it wasn't early in the morning, Mr. Masu was a lot more amiable but also a little sad.

"Sakura, I heard what happened," Mr. Masu stopped before them. "But let's not discuss it out in the open. Please, come to my cottage for dinner. My wife has prepared you a meal. Your friend can come along too."

Sakura glanced at Itachi. Itachi was certainly not her friend, but in a strange way, also not her enemy. She was grateful for Mr. Masu's offer but too embarrassed to impose. These strong, conflicting emotions clashed loudly in her head, but in the end, weariness overcame them all, and she was coaxed toward Mr. Masu's cottage. She was like a fish that was finally tired of resisting a strong current. Now there was only apathy and slight wonder as to where the current would take her.

~.~

Sakura had only seen the inside of Mr. Masu's house once, and that was to treat his son. The visit was a month ago, yet it felt like she had never left. The wooden walls and floors were just as familiar as the ones in her home, as well as the simplistic furniture that gave the setting a homely feel. Mrs. Masu, Mr. Masu's husband, greeted her just as kindly as she did the first time they met only, this time, she didn't wait until Sakura saved her son to give her a warm embrace. Sakura almost cried. It was like being held by her mother again.

She and Itachi were guided to a table with baked bread and hot soup. The second Sakura was seated, next to Itachi out of all people, her cup was filled with what felt like the hottest tea she had ever ingested. Rain began to descend again, bringing in winds that were colder than her stiff muscles could handle. From inside the cottage, however, it only played a soft rhythm Sakura took comfort in.

"I don't think we've met before," Mr. Masu addressed Itachi. "How do you know our doctor?"

"I was an old friend of her father," Itachi answered. Sakura cringed at the mention of her guardian, and it didn't go unnoticed.

"Speaking of your father," Mr. Masu turned to Sakura. "Is he resting at home?"

Itachi tried not to look at Sakura's pained expression but failed. He explained to the elderly couple what he had answered to the police. Needless to say, the Masus were aghast by the response.

"Those Uchihas," Mr. Masu seethed, catching the attention of the other diners, "when will they stop their crimes?"

Sakura noticeably cringed again but for a different reason. She didn't dare look at Itachi.

"The clan has been terrorizing humanity for generations," Mr. Masu continued, "but their worst crime was what they did to the Haruno clan. I'm sure you have heard."

Sakura stiffened.

"The Uchihas did it to keep the world safe," Itachi said, surprising the Masus. He used to say such words with confidence and certainty. Now, he noticed, there was a hint of hesitation.

"Safe?" Mr. Masu repeated. "You think the Uchihas are keeping the world _safe_?"

Sakura braced herself.

"People have been burning alive for years, reduced to ashes, so there were no traces as to how and why they ended up that way," Mr. Masu continued. "But we all know who's responsible. The Uchiha's fire burns quicker and more painful than any other flame. It results in excruciating, immediate death to anyone and anything it touches. Except, of course, the members of the clan that wield it."

Sakura finally looked at Itachi. She knew the infamous abilities the Uchiha blaze had, but to be reminded that both her parents and stepfather had died under its heat ignited her own fire within her.

Itachi has heard these words before. They were proudly spoken by his clansmen, including his brother. But he remembered receiving them differently. Back when he was a child, he would be aghast by his clan's cruel way of taking down their enemies and ashamed that he was not only forced to partake in them but trained to be the best. He vowed to himself that he would only obey for the sake of his brother; he would never succumb to the beliefs his clan had adopted. Kakashi had seen this determination when Itachi was a child; Itachi was the only Uchiha he had respected because of that.

Now look where he was now. Kakashi, his old friend and mentor, the only person that believed he could be better than his clan, had been killed by the very people he didn't want to be involved with, and he was only slightly sorry about it. What happened to me, Itachi asked himself. When and why did I lose myself?

"Yes, the Harunos are potentially dangerous because they wielded the power of all elements, but did they deserve to die because of that?" Mr. Masu asked. "If anything, they should've been treasured. Nature not only granted them the power to control their elements but the ability to heal and restore living creatures as well. Many people survived through years of war and violence because the Harunos kept them alive. Now that they're gone, who's going to protect us?"

Neither Sakura nor Itachi had words to express after that. After futile attempts from the Masus to garner another conversation with them, the rest of the dinner was eaten in silence.

~.~

Sakura didn't expect a greeting when she entered her house, but remembering why brought a constricting grip to her heart. Itachi was still by her side, but she didn't mind anymore. She couldn't handle being alone right now.

"Would you," Sakura started walking toward the kitchen, "would you like some tea?"

They had just come home from Mr. Masu's house, which had dinner drank with lots of tea, but Itachi didn't point this out nor declined. He didn't know about Sakura, but after a while, he had stopped eating and drinking after Mr. Masu's haunting words.

Sakura took his seating on her living room couch as a "yes" and proceeded to prepare tea. Today was a...taxing day, to say the least. From the look on Itachi's face, it didn't seem like he was having an easy time either.

"So," Sakura approached him later with two steaming cups, "what are you going to do now?"

Itachi leaned back, "I don't know."

Sakura extended a cup to him, and to her surprise, he accepted it and took a sip. It was almost nine o'clock at night.

"Would you like to stay here for the night?" Sakura asked.

Itachi looked at her, eyes narrowed and scrutinizing.

"You can sleep here in the living room," Sakura specified. "I'll bring you pillows and blankets."

Sakura's expression was blank, but Itachi knew she was more tired than anything else. He couldn't say the same for himself, but he did need time to reflect on today's events. And again, he couldn't leave her alone. He still didn't know why, but that was one of the many things he needed time to figure out.

So with a slow nod, Itachi gave her his acceptance. Sakura gave him a quicker nod before leaving to obtain his bedding.


	9. Breathe

Hello, everyone! I hope you didn't wait too long. I'm still at the last days of my summer depression so forgive me if the chapter feels empty at times. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy reading! Translations of the spells used today are at the bottom of the page.

* * *

Sakura tucked her knees tightly to her chest as tears stained her pillowcase. She could only close her eyes for a short minute until images of Kakashi disintegrating into fire awoke her in a cold sweat. It was two o'clock in the morning did she decide there was no point in trying. She had to get out of the house.

She slid from her bed and hopped onto her windowpane. She looked at all directions, taking in the sound of silence blanketed in the faint moonlight, and landed on her home's roof. The cold breeze sent goosebumps across her skin, but instead of deterring her, it gave her an idea. She took one last glance at her surroundings, made sure there were no witnesses, and closed her eyes.

"Furaingu...hanabira."

Sakura exhaled as she started to dissolve into a flurry of pink petals. Her eyes opened and turned to the north before they too transformed into corollas. There was only one place she wanted the wind to take her, and it wasn't a place where she could be followed.

~.~

Sakura might have drifted in and out of sleep, but Itachi was unable to sleep at all. He thought of many things in the deafening silence, but the one thing his mind focused on most was Kakashi.

He remembered the first day he met the man. He was a seven-year-old boy overlooking the beach near the Uchiha compound. It was an ideal spot to get away from everything because no one was able to find him. At least, until that night, when Kakashi was suddenly standing next to him.

 _Itachi was on his feet in the second, his sword unsheathed with its point directed at Kakashi's face. "Who are you?" he demanded._

 _"Sit down," Kakashi ordered. "We need to talk."_

 _"And why should I do that?"_

 _"Because if you don't, you'll die," Kakashi sat down and looked at the ocean. "And if that happens, who's going to take care of your brother?"_

 _Itachi was at a loss for words. He had faced many horrific trials in which his life was at stake, but never did he fear for his life as he feared for it now._

 _Slowly, and hesitantly, he sat down._

 _"I'm supposed to kill you tonight," Kakashi started in a voice so calm, it spread goosebumps across Itachi's skin, "and I would've been glad to. You and your clan have been killing off so many people, it seemed like violence would only bring peace if it was only directed toward you,_ fiends _. But then I realized it wouldn't make me different from you. If I killed a killer, then I'm a killer too. Even if I'm a killer that saves lives."_

 _Itachi's jaws hardened._

 _"I've been doing research on you, kid," Kakashi continued. "You may be a killer, but you don't have the mind of one. If a cockroach hops onto your leg, you will let it crawl on you than crush it until it stops moving. It's a little funny when you think about it. One of the best assassins of the Uchiha clan is a pacifist."_

Itachi rose from the couch and stood at his feet. He needed air; he needed a lot of air. But if he was going to leave, he had to make sure that Sakura would still be here when he returned. So as quietly as he could, he ascended the stairs and headed toward her room. He opened the door and expected her to be there.

She wasn't.

~.~

Sakura soared through buildings and fields, trees and flowers. The world looked endless when she was smaller, even when she was smaller in a large amount. She couldn't help but feel anxious at how strongly the wind carried her. Even the moonlight felt heavy on her lightweight form. She had to remind herself that she could control her movements, and she exerted more effort to do so when her destination came into view. A gap in a vast field allowed moonlight to illuminate an island and its pools below. The wind was pushing her away from it, but Sakura willed herself to descend. It was an assiduous task, but she relaxed as the walls of the recess blocked out the gale.

Then, next to the cherry blossom tree in the middle of the island, the pink corollas started to bind into her human form. Sakura shivered since she was only wearing her nightgown, but she was considerably warmer in the cavern since it was far from the opening above.

She turned and stopped in front of the cherry blossom tree. Despite many years of age, the timber retained its ageless beauty. Sakura remembered gazing upon it for the first time. The tree looked much bigger then due to her smaller stature. When she voiced this to her stepfather, who had discovered the area with her, Kakashi smiled and placed a hand on her head.

 _"You too will grow to be like this someday," he said. "You already have the beauty. Now you just need the strength."_

Sakura smiled as she placed a hand on the tree's bark. The seepling inspired her when she was discouraged, reminding her that even in the darkest, most isolated places, life could still bloom. And sometimes, in Sakura's case, for example, darkness and isolation was the only place one could shine.

Sakura stepped back and eyed her surroundings again. Then, closing her eyes, performed a stance her stepfather had taught her many years ago. She inhaled, slowly swept her right hand across the air, and exhaled.

The waters on the right side of the island crested and crashed.

She swept her left hand.

The waters on the left tumbled and roared.

Sakura took back both arms and pushed toward the cherry blossom tree.

The flowers of the timber burst and engulfed her in a cloud of petals.

Sakura inhaled and exhaled, performing stances that released and controlled the energy she had withheld for so long. Her muscles relaxed and tensed, her legs kicked and steadied. As she immersed into her element, the elements around her danced with her every move. Her pain and worries started to lift from her body. Then, as the world drifted from her mind, she dove into a blissful trance.

~.~

Itachi soared high in the form of a crow, allowing him sharp eyes that scanned every corner and shadow of the lands and waters below him. How long had Sakura been gone, he didn't know. She left what looked like no traces of her departure. No footprints, no trail—nothing. Did being a Haruno give her the ability to disappear into thin air?

Then he saw it. Inside a gap in a large open field were flashes of light. He couldn't make out what they were at first, but upon closer inspection, he discovered that they were beams of moonlight reflected on a liquid surface. He didn't know how or why such a phenomenon was happening, but after a sudden gush of wind from the hole sent him flying back, he realized that diving into the situation would be suicide. He had to find another way inside.

Itachi's beak ground in irritation as he searched for an entrance. With his speed and keen eyes, he soon spotted a tunnel. He didn't know whether it would lead him to where he wanted to go, but there was only one way to find out.

Itachi descended until his human form ungraciously tumbled onto the wet soil. Shapeshifting took a lot of energy to enact, which was why he didn't like to do it for too long. But he couldn't stop himself. He flew through every street in the village and a quarter of the boundless forest. The thought that Sakura might return later that night and probably did so while he was gone had crossed his mind, but he couldn't will himself to turn back. There were no signs that Sakura had packed for a trip. Again, it seemed like she had disappeared into thin air.

Itachi scowled when he looked inside the tunnel. He wasn't sure he wanted to enter a dark unknown place with his energy levels so low, but again, against his better judgment, he ventured forward. He lost a sliver of his power to light a fire in his right hand, and the first thing he spotted when the flame illuminated his path was a wooden boat. The second was the shore of a river. Strange, Itachi narrowed his eyes. Why were the tides so strong?

Itachi approached the boat, the oars inside, and noticed how dry they were. He was certain there was a destination at the end of the river. Whether someone was there, he wasn't sure. It wasn't possible for someone to be there without using a boat. Then again, maybe there was more than one boat, and whoever arrived before he did used one of them.

Itachi was vaguely aware of the excuses he was giving to himself, but he was soon on the lone boat navigating through the rapids. He had to sacrifice lighting to paddle with both oars, but this soon became less problematic when he glimpsed moonlight at the end of the tunnel. The waters were growing more and more turbulent the closer he was getting there, but he ignored this and paddled on.

Then he found her, and he was unable to breathe. Sakura was still performing her techniques, but with her energy, the intense force he could feel from the distance, she was displaying a sight he had never seen before. She manipulated the air to make the cherry blossom petals fly around her and the water to sway and crash. It was like watching an angel or a fairy of some sort dance and battle at the same time. The display was so surreal; Itachi unconsciously paddled forward to get a closer look.

But he forgot how violent the waves were. It took a sudden jerk from the vessel to snap him out of his spell. Before he could prepare himself, the boat overturned, and he was thrown into the water.

The resulting splash was close enough for Sakura to hear it, and she immediately stopped her exercise to turn to its source. The waters were still too violent to find anything, however. The waves were too tall, and the roars were too loud. But then she saw the overturned boat. If a boat was there, Sakura widened her eyes, where was its passenger?

Sakura ran to the edge of the island and dove into the water. She gasped at the coldness of the pool but willed the waters to still before she descended, so the waves became steady enough to swim through. She used the moonlight above to see her surroundings, but the gap could only stretch so far, and to her growing panic, she had yet to see anyone or anything show up.

Sakura paddled back to the surface of the water to catch her breath. She looked at all directions, searching for a sign that anyone but her was present. When she saw nothing, she submerged once more. If someone, or some people, were really here, they could've been in that boat. The waves most likely knocked them into the water; and if they ended up drowning, it would be her fault. Lives will be lost again, and it would be her fault.

Tears of desperation blurred her vision, but after a few laps around the island, she found someone. When Sakura swam closer, she saw why it was so hard to find him or her. With the stranger's flowing black hair and clothing just as dark, the person blended well with the pit below him. Him. The stranger was a man, Sakura realized, and not just any man. The man was Itachi.

Sakura gasped, in shock and the lack of air, and pulled Itachi to her chest. She gripped him tight before propelling them back to the surface. She was glad the water allowed her to pull Itachi's weight for his muscles and height made him heavy.

Sakura swam until she was at the lower part of the island. Once her feet touched sand, she pulled Itachi out of the water and laid him on the surface. Sakura fell to her knees and raised a hand above his face.

"Josho."

A stream of water emerged from Itachi's mouth and fell to the ground beside him. Sakura lowered her ear to his chest. He was breathing, she sighed in relief, but barely.

A green light had engulfed Sakura's hand before she ran it across his body. She stopped at the side of his head and then cradled the tender spot. If Itachi was the passenger of the boat, the boat must have walloped him enough to knock him out. It was a good thing she found him as soon as she did. He would have drowned.

Sakura closed her eyes and exhaled as the green light repaired the damages she could sense. Fortunately, the boat didn't hit him too hard, and she healed him in less than a minute. Sakura would've done the procedure slowly so his body wouldn't be shocked by her foreign energy, but she was too anxious to have him alive that she did it as soon as she could. She wouldn't be surprised if Itachi woke up vomiting. She lifted his torso so he wouldn't choke.

Almost immediately, and as she expected, Itachi sat up and let out a gush of vomit. His body swayed a bit, indicating his nausea, and Sakura was at his side to keep him steady.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Itachi took a sharp breath and coughed before turning to her. He was wet and freezing, and his vision was spinning and blurry. What had happened to put him in such circumstances?

"You almost drowned," Sakura said after reading his confused expression. "It's a good thing I got to you as soon as I did."

"Y-You," Itachi coughed, "you...saved me?"

"Yes," Sakura gave him a gentle smile, "I did."

Itachi only stared at her. He scrutinized every droplet of water on her face and pink strand that stuck to it. Her eyes were like emeralds under the moon, and they looked back curiously to decipher the reason for his silence.

"We," Sakura suddenly turned away in awkwardness, "have to get out of here. I healed your head and prevented any brain damage, but it will take a while for the rest of your body to recover."

It wasn't until she told him this did Itachi realize that he was shivering and breathing loudly through his mouth. Almost automatically, he grabbed Sakura by the waist and pulled her on top of him. Sakura squeaked. She made a weak attempt to push him off, but then her lips touched his neck, and she froze. He was cold as ice.

This realization didn't relax her stiffening body. If she forced herself off of him, he might die of hypothermia. The man did almost drown, after all. But if they continued to stay on the island, they would both freeze to death. She couldn't use her earlier spell to transport them out of there. Her only option that would make them both survive was...to build a fire.

No, Sakura shook her head. Fire was what made her come to the island in the first place. But fire was also what she and Itachi needed to survive. Sakura might be accepting of death, but she wouldn't forgive herself if she took Itachi with her. So she lifted her lips to Itachi's ear.

"W-We..."

Itachi's eyes turned to the side of her head.

"...need to start a...fire," Sakura staggered.

Itachi noted the fear and reluctance in her voice but understood why she was saying it. A fire was their only option for survival. She wouldn't have suggested it if there was any other way. He didn't know what he could do in his barely-living state, but he had to take a chance. So he mustered as much energy as he could at the palm of his hand and, with what seemed like an adrenaline surge, launched a fireball at the first thing he saw: the cherry blossom tree.

Sakura lifted her head and gasped when the tree, the tree she had known and loved since she was young, burned before her very eyes. The petals chipped and fell off their branches, disappearing into dust as the fire roared in hunger.

Sakura shoved herself off Itachi and ran toward the tree. Her eyes were sharp but soaked with tears. She saw Kakashi, herself when she was younger, and then the tree that would inspire her no more. She lifted her hands to the fire and screamed.

Her hands were set ablaze.

* * *

Furaingu Hanabira - Flying Petals

Josho - Rise

*Translations made with Google Translate


	10. And Remember Your Purpose

Hello, everyone! Due to financial craziness, I had to postpone my editor's first job and edit the chapter myself. Nevertheless, here it is! I hope I did well.

* * *

What Sakura did next was automatic. Her hands burned with fire she had conjured herself and overcame the flames burning the cherry blossom tree. The forces clashed and roared, engulfing the dark cavern in a hot orange light. Then, as quickly as they had come, they vanished into nothing. All that remained was a circle of ash.

Sakura trembled and looked at her hands. Her skin was black and peeling. What took her back the most was that she didn't notice it was happening. She was so intent on putting out the force that she didn't feel her own flames trying to consume her.

"You can fight fire with fire, Sakura," Kakashi told her once, "but in the end, there are no survivors."

Sakura gritted her teeth. She had never summoned fire her whole life. It was what separated her from the Uchihas, what made her different from the monsters that ruined her life. But now that she utilized their weapon, they weren't so different anymore.

"Is this..."

She trembled.

"...what you wanted? To push me until I become the monster you and your clan made me to be?"

Itachi could only stare at her, speechless. He watched the skin of her hands chip and fall to the ground.

"Well, it's not going to work."

Green light enveloped the injuries. The wounds turned into scars, and the scars turned into a new layer of skin. Itachi didn't understand what he did and what happened after but understood one thing. That cherry blossom tree meant a lot to Sakura, and like his clan did to her loved ones, he burned it down in front of her.

"You can take away everything I have," she hissed, "but I will never _ever_ be like you."

Itachi struggled to stand up, but it was no use. He couldn't stop shaking, even when he was no longer cold. Sakura had a look in her eyes that he recognized on his brother when he broke a promise. But it was worse on Sakura. Sasuke refused to face him. Sakura, on the other hand, looked right at him, like she was seeing him for what he really was.

"Sak—"

"Don't," Sakura shook her head. "Just...please. Leave me alone. I never want to see you again."

Itachi reached out, but Sakura dissolved into a flurry of petals. She rose to the moon and flew away, leaving him with the ashes of his deeds.

~.~

Konoha wasn't active at six o'clock in the morning, but it was alive. A number of restaurants and shops have opened for business. Potential customers ambled the streets for their morning walks as farmers and fishers passed by to deliver produce to the market. Yesterday's storm left behind dark clouds that could pour at any minute. Daylight occasionally broke through the setting, but people wore protective clothing, just in case.

Sakura didn't know she was sleeping until a beam of sunlight reached her room. She was amazed she slept at all, considering the endless time she spent staring into space. She spent twenty years as a civilian doctor adopted by the smartest, strongest, and most inspirational man she had ever known (second to her biological father). Now she was a monster that took three lives and wielded the element of her enemies. What would her parents and step-father think of her? What did _she_ think of herself?

She sat up from her bed and looked at her hands. They didn't look burned but didn't look like they were her own either. Perhaps they had been cut off and replaced with someone else's. Or maybe, Sakura laughed to herself, someone _burned_ them off and replaced them with another's. Wonder who was responsible for that?

Her head cocked when she heard a knock from downstairs. Was it Itachi? Did he have the nerve to return to her house? As bitter as it sounded in her head, she wished she didn't save his life. Leaving behind one of the most dangerous assassins to die would've been the only good deed she could've accomplished.

She swung her legs off the bed and spread her arms to steady herself. Her bare feet tread through rug and wood, making the stairs creak as she descended them. She didn't know what to say to Itachi but knew the words wouldn't be kind. She would most likely yell and curse at him, maybe enough to cause a scene and embarrass him into leaving. Reveal his identity too? Maybe there was a bounty on _his_ head.

Sakura stopped herself there as she stood by the door. What were these horrible thoughts and where did they come from? Did Itachi and his clan succeed? Did they really turn her into a monster?

Sakura opened the door and stopped worrying. Itachi wasn't on the other side. The officer that interrogated her was.

"Good morning, Ms. Hatake," he greeted. "Do you mind if I come in?"

Sakura blinked. "Oh, umm," she stepped aside to create a path. "Go ahead."

The officer gave her another bow and entered. He surveyed the large but almost empty living room before taking a seat on a couch. "We found the bodies of the suspects."

Sakura almost tripped before seating herself. "O-Oh?"

"They matched the profiles we had our sketch artist draw out. Here," the officer opened the folder she didn't notice him carrying. "You can confirm it for us."

Sakura had accepted the folder before her entire body froze. Even as sketches, the murderers made her shiver. "Y-Yes," she managed to say, "that's them."

She shut and almost desperately returned the folder. The officer gave her a sympathetic frown before hiding the file.

"We found them in a crevice filled with the waters of a nearby lake," he continued. "There was a minor earthquake yesterday. We infer that the earth swallowed them while they traveled."

Sakura's expression was hard to decipher. When she didn't say anything, the officer sat up straight.

"We are still looking for your father," he went on. "The search squad that found the suspects left to continue searching for Mr. Hatake. We will alert you when we find anything significant, but feel free to stop by the station to follow up on the search."

"Thank you," Sakura acknowledged.

"Do you have any questions?"

"No."

"Alright," the officer eyed her as he stood up. "I will be on my way."

Sakura stood as well and walked him to the door. She felt his eyes scrutinizing her but continued to avoid eye contact. He was becoming suspicious of her, she sensed. But who cared? She hid the truth from him and everyone else from the very beginning. Now that she had nothing to lose, how else could it hurt her?

She bid a quiet goodbye before closing the door. Her hand lingered at the doorknob as she wondered when she too would exit her house. She supposed she could visit the clinic; but, no. She didn't want to see the damage. She didn't want to see anything.

"There's no point anymore, is there?"

Sakura froze as a voice cooed into her ear.

"You lived a lie to protect everyone and everything you stood for," it continued. "You could always love again but for what? For the truth to take them away again?"

Tears welled in Sakura's eyes.

"You're alone, Sakura, and you always will be. Just accept your fate. It's not like you have a reason to be alive in the first place."

Sakura flinched when a couple hits shook the door. The officer might have forgotten something, she guessed as she opened it. Even if he was already on his way out, her body language wasn't allowing him to take his time.

Now it didn't allow her to move. Though Itachi didn't mean to come off intimidating, his height made him a towering figure.

Sakura stepped back.

"I know you sent me away, and I'm sorry for breaking your wishes," he apologized. Remorse was deep in his voice, but so was a conviction. "I just...want to show you something. After that, you will never see me again."

Sakura didn't know what to say. She wanted to follow through with her plan, though acting it out might not work considering she was still appalled by it; but his last sentence got to her. He was vowing to leave for good. How much had she suffered since the Uchihas came back into her life? Her life was a mess, but what if it was because an Uchiha was still here?

Sakura didn't give him the satisfaction of a verbal answer. She did, however, spot a glint of hope in his eyes when she nodded him to lead the way.

~.~

Itachi seemed to have recovered the boat and oars, for they sailed the familiar tunnel leading to her secret island. The last place Sakura expected to go to was her hideout. The last thing she expected to see was a sapling where her tree used to be.

"I had to seek advice from a farmer," Itachi told her. "Nevertheless, it will grow into a beautiful tree. Just like the one before it."

Sakura clenched a fist. "Why...did you do this?"

"To apologize," he answered. "The cherry blossom tree meant a lot to you, and I burned it down. I'm sorry."

The soil of the sapling was fresh and watered. Sunlight beamed onto the plant, showering it with the light it needed to grow.

"You...are a sick person."

Itachi stiffened.

"Is this how you kill your targets?" Sakura demanded. "Mentally torture them until they WANT you to kill them?"

Itachi gaped. "I'm not trying to torture you."

"Oh, so are you saying you actually feel _bad_ for me?" Sakura suggested. "That you feel _any_ remorse for what you and your clan did to me and my family? Do you really think I'm that _stupid_?"

"No," Itachi shook his head. "You are mistaken."

"I just lost everything I have _again_!" Sakura screamed. "Killing me as soon as you found me would've been easy but no, you didn't do it! Why? Because you had to punish me for surviving the massacre and _maybe_ hurting your brother! Well, at least he's still alive! And when you come home, you have him and a whole _civilization_ to call you a _hero_! What do _I_ have? This stupid _plant_?"

She marched to the sapling and stomped on it. Its thin bark, as well as the stick it holding up, shattered as she smashed them repeatedly. Only when she grew tired did she finally absorb the consequences of her actions. The sapling, an innocent being that meant no harm, was dead. Its young and small petals were beaten and stained on the ground.

"No," Sakura croaked. She fell to the land and shrieked. " _No_!" Did she take a life _again_? What was happening to her?

She hid her face in her hands as Itachi approached her. She didn't know what he looked like when he knelt down. She didn't know what to do. She was afraid to do anything.

"I understand if you don't believe me, much less trust me," Itachi said, "but I really am sorry for burning down the tree. I acted rashly and thought that replacing it might make amends. I understand now that it won't."

Sakura said nothing.

"I can't possibly understand the pain you're going through," Itachi went on. "As much as it pains me to admit it, you are right. Not only do I have family and comrades, we ensure that other people lose theirs. We spread fear so we can live in what we define as peace. We're not heroes; we're monsters."

Sakura lifted her head to look at him. Her eyes were puffy, and her cheeks were slick with tears. She wasn't sure if he was sincere but decided his words were true. She was confident of one thing; that was a start.

"You were aware of my identity and the deeds I had done, yet you saw good in me," Itachi continued. "But when I saw the way you looked at me earlier, I knew I had disappointed you. I couldn't take it. You lost faith in me, just like I did with myself a long time ago. Maybe that was why I accompanied you for so long, why I couldn't let you die nor depart from me. I needed you to believe that I can be better because maybe then... I actually can be."

Sakura took a moment to process his words. Then, when she analyzed them the best she could, asked, "B-But why me? Why do you need me to believe in you?"

"Because you are the very definition of good," he answered. "Everything had been taken away from you, but you would rather die than succumb to bitterness and revenge. You see the good in others because you see the good in yourself. Just knowing you alone had inspired me to do the same. I won't give up until I'm better." He turned to his left, where the broken tree laid. "Even if I fail a few times."

Sakura turned to it as well and cupped her mouth. If what he was saying was true, then not only did he believe she was good, he aspired to do the same with others. Wasn't this what she always wanted? To live the day someone put aside violence for peace?

She stared at Itachi, who stared back. He was paler than usual. His skin was swollen around his eyes and mouth, and his hair was damp and disheveled. She was noting how his clothes were equally wet when she spotted a color outside of his black and white pallet. Red, and it was trickling into the soil.

"You're bleeding."

Itachi followed her gaze to his left arm. He let her pull back his sleeve, which revealed a gash cascading with blood.

"Your stitches opened up," she gasped. "But how?"

Itachi slyly smiled to himself. He must've overexerted himself preparing for the sapling's growth. Sakura deduced this as well and returned to his arm.

"Here," she lifted her hand, "let me heal it."

Itachi flinched when her light ghosted his skin. The force felt like tiny kisses healing him from the cellular level. He watched his wound close to a scar. Then, before he could thank her, fade into new skin.

"Amazing," he breathed out.

Sakura rested her hand on his arm. "Thank you."

"No."

She froze when he took hold of her fingers.

"Thank _you_ ," Itachi smiled.

Shivers racked through Sakura's body, concerning him. Then, before he could prepare for it, she launched herself into his arms. Her hair tickled his jaw while her tears soaked his collar.

Itachi remembered a similar situation—when he stopped her from leaping into the precipice. She fought against him at first, like she did today, but when he proved that he supported her by refusing to let go, she held him as tightly as she could.

Maybe this was the good he needed to be better, Itachi returned her embrace. He was tired of pushing people to the edge. For once, he wanted to pull them back and give them a reason to hang on. And who better to do that with than with Sakura, who no longer had anything to hold on to?

Itachi shut his eyes and listened to her whimper.


	11. Don't Run From Your Demons

Hello, everyone! My financial craziness is still crazy, so I had to edit the chapter myself. I got lucky with LNOEW. Not so much with this one. But hang tight! The time will pass.

I just realized that the story almost has 160 followers! Thank you so much for that! I wanted to do something special if the story reached 100 but didn't know it reached _150_ until this week. I have no idea what to do to celebrate this amazing milestone. Have any ideas? If so, please leave them in the reviews.

* * *

Itachi, Sakura decided, was a quiet person. He might have said a mouthful back on the island, but now that they were heading back to town, he had nothing to say.

Konoha's buildings were packed with people. It started raining, as many expected and feared. But the storm didn't quell their spirits. If anything, it ignited activity in the hungry and irritated.

Itachi watched a group of people rush inside a restaurant."Would you like to eat?" he offered.

"No," Sakura answered. She was too light-headed, weary, and cold to be anywhere except her house. But she knew that her weakness wasn't just due to trauma. She had to eat and sleep.

Once Sakura opened the front door of her house, Itachi excused himself with "I'll be back" before leaving. She entered without a word and closed the door. Whatever he was going to do was the least of her concerns. The house felt much too big now. Its bills were too big to pay alone, especially with a job that might not have a future. But then Sakura's head started to hurt, and she decided to take a shower. She didn't want to think right now. She wanted a break.

Once under the showerhead, she didn't move for a while. Her hands ran through her hair and arms, but for the most part, her body was still.

"It won't be for long."

Sakura froze. Shower curtains obscured her view, but she could make out a figure leaning against the wall. "Who are you?"

"You know who I am, Sakura," the figure answered. "You've talked to me your whole life."

Sakura stumbled back. "It can't be."

"But here I am. When you need me to be."

Sakura yanked the curtains to the side but found nothing. She switched off the water, snatched a towel, and stumbled into the hallway. Her footsteps echoed as she sprinted toward her bedroom. Once inside, she gripped the window and collapsed onto the floor. The rain's rhythm soothed her muscles. Her lungs slowed down, and her fingers released the window pane.

Once she regained herself, she stood and dressed in thin pajamas. She then descended to the first floor and made herself a cup of tea. The steam warmed her skin as the beverage scalded her throat.

"I need to get a hold of myself," she spoke aloud. "There's no one here but me."

"What's new?"

The cup crashed into the floor. Hot liquid drenched and burned her feet, but she didn't move.

"Don't look so pale, Sakura," the figure leaned against the kitchen table. It looked just like her, but its eyes were completely black. "It's like you've never heard me speak to you before."

"You're not real," Sakura shook her head. "I'm going insane."

"If anything, Sakura, you're saner than you've ever been," the figure remarked. "I used to be just a voice in your head. But look at us now, finally face to face."

"You're not real!" Sakura insisted. "Just go away!"

"You can't get rid of me," the figure crossed its arms. "I'm your voice of reason. An inner you—inner Sakura!"

"No, you're a demon!" Sakura yelled. "A horrible entity that wants to corrupt me!"

"Sweetie, you _are_ corrupt," Inner remarked. "Call me what you want, but I won't leave. The only way to get rid of me is to _become_ me."

"No," Sakura refused. "No, I won't let that happen!"

She bent to pick the shards of her cup when Inner appeared beside her.

"Your heart is so broken, you can cut yourself with the pieces," it said. "Why bother trying to fix it? It's like a cup; you can glue or tape it back together, but once it taps something, it's back to debris."

"Shut up."

"And no one is going to clean you up when that happens," it continued. "Your parents are dead, your stepfather is dead, anyone you befriend can end up killing you—What? You think _Itachi_ is going to be there for you?"

Sakura froze. The shards she held fell inside a trashcan with a heavy thump.

"He's from the Uchiha clan, the clan that _killed your family_ ," Inner reminded. "And didn't he come at the same time as those Uchiha bandits? Don't tell me that's just a coincidence."

Sakura dashed to the living room.

"Who's to say he wasn't going to kill you last night?" Inner followed. "What if he wasn't aiming at the tree? What if he was aiming at _you_?"

"Shut up!" Sakura covered her ears.

"And where is he now? He didn't tell us where he was going," Inner pointed out. "What if he's getting re-enforcements? The crooks yesterday obviously weren't good enough. Maybe he'd get his whole clan to come for you this time."

"No," Sakura shook her head. "He can't...he told me…"

"What? You actually believe that garbage about him wanting to become a better person?" Inner scoffed. "He's an _assassin_! If he really wanted to be a better person, then he would've started a charity. But he didn't. Why? Because he's on a mission to _kill you_."

"Stop!" Sakura marched to the kitchen, but Inner still followed.

"Why are you defending him?" it demanded. "He's a murderer! He's breaking you down until you're too weak to defend yourself. Do you actually think he's being nice because he _cares_ about you?"

Sakura clutched her chest, as if in pain.

"Oh, Sakura, you idiot," Inner shook its head. "Your desire to be approved has made you foolish. Everyone will _always_ try to kill you. Those who don't get killed. Just look at your parents and stepfather. Even if Itachi does genuinely care about you, do you think he'll last for it?"

Sakura leaned against the dining table and barely steadied herself with her arms.

"Like I've always said, Sakura, you're alone. And you always will be," Inner reminded. "Either the world goes, or you do. And you already know what the world decided."

Sakura lifted her head when someone knocked on the front door. Inner wasn't there anymore, leaving her alone in the kitchen. Sakura turned and headed for the door. Once she opened it, Itachi greeted her with a paper bag.

"I bought lunch," he presented with a smile.

"Leave."

Itachi lowered the bag. "What?"

"You promised to leave if I followed you to the hideout," Sakura reminded. "I did, so now you can leave."

The bag landed on wet cement. "Sak—"

"You made a promise!" she pointed. Her voice was shaky, so she coughed before adding, "Now go! I don't want to see you again!"

Itachi stepped back. His eyes were wide, and his mouth opened in shock. He looked like he was going to say something but couldn't find the words to speak. Then, very slowly, he turned around and started walking.

"Take the bag with you," Sakura added.

Itachi trudged back to do so. He stood still for a few moments as if waiting for her to change her mind. When Sakura crossed her arms and glared, he took off.

~.~

Itachi hopped from branch to branch until he found an opening in the wall of a canyon. He hid himself before transforming into a crow and flew into it. It was the perfect place to collapse in exhaustion. Eating the food he purchased only gave him the strength to travel so far. He needed to sleep.

But slumber didn't come easily for him. He was tormented by pain in both his mind and heart. How could Sakura send him away like that? Had he not done his best to display compliance? Did she still see him as a barbaric killer despite his efforts to be the opposite?

A warmth overcoming his body made it difficult to breathe. He was angry at her. How could he not? He went out of his way to show that he meant well, and she not only stomped his attempt to make amends, she banished him after he made another. Why did she receive him if she didn't trust him? Was she playing with his emotions, or did she really believe in him and then have a sudden change of heart?

Perhaps she finally snapped, Itachi deduced. It wouldn't be the first time he witnessed someone lose her mind. Whatever the case, he was lost. He didn't have a plan before his last encounter with her, but at least he had an objective. Now, what was he going to do?

He would decide when he woke up. His body finally gave out and allowed him to sleep.

~.~

It was still raining when Sakura re-entered her home. After sending Itachi away a few hours before, she had the urge to fix something. She was going back to work tomorrow morning, she recalled. Tidying her clinic would not only prepare her for her return, it would distract her from her scattered thoughts.

But Inner didn't leave when Itachi did. It remained at her side, giving her nothing but reproaches. Sakura shouldn't have sent the assassin away, it said. She should've killed him.

After a not-so-quiet dinner, Sakura decided to go to bed early. Cleaning her workplace exhausted her already tired body. Sleeping could get rid of Inner too.

"You can't get rid of me," Inner read her thoughts. "You _need_ me."

Sakura grunted. She was getting tired of the delusion's constant chatter. She wanted to lash out but held herself back. She couldn't lose her temper. That was exactly what it wanted her to do.

But she was close to breaking when she opened her bedroom door. Someone was standing by the bed. Despite being cloaked in shadow, his face revealed a wicked smirk.

"Hello, Haruno."

Sakura's back hit the door. "Who are you?"

"What do you mean _'who are you'_?" Inner screeched. "Waste him!"

"Hikigane Uchiha," the man waved a hand with flair. "The only Uchiha that will manage to kill you."

Sakura clenched her fists.

"I've been watching you, Haruno," Hikigane stepped around the bed. "I've also been watching Itachi not only fail at his mission but admit to saving you not once but _twice_!"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. Then she gasped. That was right! Itachi saved her and tried to save her parents in the massacre. How could she have forgotten?

"But that weasel isn't going to have his way anymore," Hikigane stated. "Once I return with your ashes, I'm going to watch the people that adore him _paint_ the grounds with his blood."

Sakura grabbed the doorknob, but then he lit a fire in his palm, freezing her in place.

"Put him out!" Inner ordered.

"Don't be rash, girl," Hikigane shook his head. "No one is here to save you this time. Not your stepfather, not Itachi—NO ONE! I will finally do what many tried and failed to accomplish, and I'm going to enjoy every second of it."

"Stay back!" Sakura ordered. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Don't warn him!" Inner scolded. "Just do it!"

"I know you don't," Hikigane grinned. "You're not a threat. If you were, I would have killed you sooner."

A fireball shot out of his hands, launching at a speed faster than Sakura could blink. It lit the room for a second before going out. Sakura, to his shock, wasn't burning. Her hand stretched out before her, waving whatever was left of the flames into nothing.

"Your fire may not be able to hurt you," she stepped forward, "but mine can."

Hikigane turned and ran as fast as he could. He wasn't used to running away, however. His blood-curling scream pierced the night, but it was drowned by thunder.

Sakura watched the man blaze before her. He was cremating faster than she expected. Did the Uchihas' immunity to their own fire make them more vulnerable to others'?

"Amazing," Inner breathed as more of their attacker piled into ash. "You did it, Sakura! You final—"

Sakura drenched the fire with water, ran past the ashes, and took off into the night.

~.~

Electroconvulsive therapy had been proven to treat hallucinations, Sakura recalled. That was why she was on one of the many hills closest to the sky. Lightning often struck the higher ground.

"Sakura, no!" Inner screamed through the heavy gales. "Don't do this! Not after everything you accomplished!"

" _You_ did this!" Sakura pointed, her eyes red and puffy. "You made me kill that man! You made me a _killer_!"

"No, Sakura! I'm just a voice!" it reminded. "All of it was _you_! It had always been you! I just help you become what you are meant to be!"

Sakura's mouth hung open.

"That's why you need me!" Inner insisted. "Just like what that Uchiha said, you have no one! _I'm_ the only one that can really protect you! The only way I can die is if _you_ do!"

Sakura wasn't able to speak. She wanted to refute the visual's statements, but with what? Everything it was saying was true. Inner might just be a voice but was the only one she had left. The only one that could help her now was...

"No."

Inner frowned.

"You only help me by making me do terrible things. When I try to do good, you try to kill me," Sakura realized. "You're not my voice of reason; you're a demon."

"Call me what you want, Sakura!" Inner extended its arms. It tried to feign confidence, but hostility overcame its tone. "But I'm still the only one that can save you! Bring anyone else into your life, and they'll _die_!"

"I don't need saving," Sakura stated. "I need to be good. I can't let you make me do bad things anymore."

"Then what are you going to do?" Inner demanded. " _Kill_ me? Because you know you can't!"

"No, I can't," Sakura concurred, "but I don't have to."

Inner stepped back when she stepped forward.

"If I don't fear nor loathe you, then you lose power over me. Then I..."

Sakura took it into her arms.

"...gain power over you."

Inner screamed as it merged into Sakura's body. Sakura clutched her head. The demon was protesting, demanding to be released.

"No," Sakura refused. "You're going to help me fulfill my purpose. Not by making me evil, but by making me strong."

She raised her head to the sky and extended her arms.

"Tomare."

Raindrops froze in midair, stopping inches from her face. She closed her eyes.

"KAZE!"

Wind shot from her hands and impaled the billows. The skies objected. Multiple bolts surrounded her while powerful sound waves shook her body. But Sakura protected herself as an expanding circle revealed clear skies. Moonlight broke through the storm and engulfed her in a white embrace.

"I'm not going to sit back and accept defeat," Sakura whispered. "Things are going to be different from now on."

* * *

Tomare - stop

Translation provided by Google Translate.


	12. Control Them

Hello, everyone! Can you believe that the year is almost over? I'm still trying to process it. Speaking of process, it may take you a while to do so in this one. Prepare your heart. It's in for a ride.

* * *

When Sakura returned to her bedroom, the first thing she spotted were Hikigane's remains. "Damn it," she cursed. The corpse was still soaked. How could she finish cremating it now?

 _"You can always dump him into a bag and get rid of him the old-fashioned way."_

Sakura's eyes widened. She looked at all directions but saw no one else in the room.

 _"This is hilarious. Bet you never thought you had to hide a dead body before."_

"I thought I got rid of you," Sakura spoke aloud.

 _"Oh please,"_ Inner responded in her mind. _"Did you really think I'd go away because you don't like me anymore?"_

Sakura grunted.

 _"I'm a part of you, you idiot,"_ Inner reminded. _"There's only one way to get rid of me, and you know it."_

Sakura sighed through her nose. "Fine, but if you're not going to leave me alone, then what are you going to do?"

 _"Help you, of course,"_ Inner responded. _"And when you're finally ready to accept my help, I know a way to fix your predicament."_

Sakura frowned. She did say she wanted to utilize the voice to strengthen herself. Whether it could be trusted or not was the problem.

 _"Oh, it hurts that you doubt me,"_ Inner lamented. _"Then again, doubting is what you learned from me, so who am I to be offended?"_

"Will you help me or not?" Sakura barked.

 _"Fine, fine, I'll help you,"_ Inner conceded. _"W_ _ater can be burned like everything else. You just need hotter fire_ _."_

Sakura paled. "Are you saying…"

 _"Yup,"_ Inner confirmed. _"Turn up the heat."_

Sakura lifted the hand that cooked her assassin. How did she do it so easily?

 _"That's because it was when you finally listened to me,"_ Inner read her thoughts. _"Doubt and antagonize me all you want, but I'm not the enemy."_

Sakura eyed the creases of her palm, focusing her energy into the lines. Before she could help it, a fire sparked from her flesh. But then she flinched, and the flame singed her before going out.

 _"How pathetic,"_ Inner snorted. _"You actually think you can use the fire without me?"_

Sakura growled and proceeded to heal herself.

 _"Fire is death and destruction, something you avoid but I embrace,"_ Inner went on. _"How can you control something you're afraid of?"_

"I'm," Sakura gritted her teeth, " _not_ afraid!"

 _"You can try to lie to yourself, Sakura, but there is also another thing that I embrace that you don't,"_ Inner continued. _"The truth. A brave little speech isn't going to remove the fear. How can you face your enemies if you can't even face me?"_

Sakura grunted. "Fine," she admitted. "I am scared."

 _"...G-Good,"_ Inner commented. _"I'm glad you—"_

"But I won't let that stop me," she continued. "Doing nothing because I'm scared makes me a coward, but doing something despite being scared makes me courageous."

She dashed downstairs to the kitchen and returned with a broom, dustpan, and a plastic bag.

 _"No. Way,"_ Inner drawled.

Sakura whipped the bag open and placed it before the corpse. Then, after a deep breath, started sweeping.

 _"You're joking,"_ Inner said. _"You'd rather bag the guy than burn him?"_

"I don't need your fire," Sakura stated. "I've solved my problems without it before."

Once everything was tied inside the plastic, she shut her eyes before carrying the bag downstairs.

 _"You really are insane, Sakura!"_ Inner howled with laughter. _"Imagine the terror people will feel when they find this in the dump."_

Despite herself, Sakura cackled before exiting her home.

~.~

Puffs of hot air formed a mist in the cold night as a woman rushed inside a house. Two children in the building were crying for her comfort. She engulfed them into her arms and knelt to the ground.

"My sweet loves," she whispered. She held their faces between her palms and kissed their foreheads. "Shh, don't cry, don't cry. I'm—UGH!"

The children screamed when a sword plunged through her neck. Then the sword impaled their throats, turning their screams into gargles.

Itachi flicked their blood off his weapon and headed to the front door. His latest victims were related to a man that was late in his debts. As soon as he came in, he'd be next.

But then the assassin heard voices behind him. One by one, the dead family rose from the ground. The mother wasn't able to speak because he tore her windpipe. When the children opened their mouths, blood trickled down their teeth.

"Why?" they gurgled. "WHY?"

Itachi's sword fell onto the ground. A hand lowered to pick it up, but not his.

"Why indeed…"

Itachi whipped to his right.

"...Brother?"

The killer staggered back. A man almost as tall as he was tilted his head and smirked. He had jet black hair that stuck out from the back and hung from the side of his skull. He held Itachi's weapon to his dark onyx eyes and raised his eyebrows.

"Sasuke?" Itachi called.

"Do you know what it's like to get stabbed by one?" Sasuke asked. "I don't, but I hear it hurts."

Itachi coughed when the sword pierced his chest. But it wasn't Sasuke that stabbed him. When Itachi looked up, he saw the bloody mother and children.

"Look at us!" They screeched. "LOOK AT US!"

Itachi shot up and clutched his chest. His sword wasn't driven through it as he had expected, nor was a mother and her children trying to fix that. It was just another nightmare. But the people were real once. He really did kill that family.

He ran a shaky hand through his hair. His assassinations had always plagued his dreams but never were they as twisted as they were just now. What had caused such a horrific change, and what did it mean?

The skies outside his hideout were dark, but a shade of light blue emerged from the horizon. The terror he awoke from filled him with energy. Now he needed to do something, anything, to distract himself from it.

The assassin rose and shape-shifted into a crow. His priority was to find clean water. What he found instead almost paralyzed him mid-flight. There was a soldier camp about ten miles from Konoha. He recognized almost everyone there because they weren't ordinary soldiers. They were Uchiha soldiers.

Itachi landed on a tree five miles from the base and approached the camp slowly. As expected, a group of watchmen spotted and neared him.

"Greetings, sir Itachi!" one of them regarded. "My name is Hadan, the head watchman. I didn't receive word that you were coming."

"I was heading to Konoha for supplies," Itachi justified smoothly. "Why is there a camp here?"

"Come back with us," Hadan ushered. "Well, with me since these two have to keep watch."

Itachi exchanged polite nods with all three of them before following Hadan.

~.~

When Sakura exited her house, the last thing she expected to see was the officer that interrogated her.

"Morning, Ms. Hatake," the officer approached her doorstep. "Officer Pon. We spoke the other day."

Sakura took a breath to relax her muscles. It didn't work. "How can I help you, Officer?"

"Come with me to the station," Pon requested. "This is something we need to discuss alone."

Sakura wanted to refuse. She had work and bills she could barely pay. But the officer's expression was grave and almost hostile. She didn't follow him because he asked her to. She followed him because she had to.

~.~

Itachi kept an eye on every soldier he passed. All of them regarded him with reverence and admiration, for they knew what he had done and respected him for it. Itachi pretended to be many things over the years. That morning, he pretended not to be appalled.

"We've gotten word that the Haruno that attacked your brother and his squad could be in Konoha," Hadan informed. "We sent out a spy to confirm it, but he has yet to return."

The hair on the back of Itachi's neck pricked. "How long has he been gone?"

"About a week."

Itachi almost stopped walking. He did stumble a bit but regained his footing before the watchman could notice.

"We sent out another spy to check on him, and this one came back just last night," Hadan continued. "He discovered the Haruno carrying a plastic bag to the town's dumpsite. When he opened the bag, he found Hikigane's burned remains. We know it's him because he brought back Hikigane's badge."

This time, Itachi did stop in his tracks.

"He wasn't burned completely into ash," the watchman explained. "He was only roasted until his body was doused with water. We don't know if that woman was responsible for both burning and putting out Hikigane. But if there's anything we can't put to rest, it's that she might know our clan's weakness."

Itachi's expression was blank, but that was what made him one of the best assassins. His poker-face concealed even the deepest emotions.

"The man that found him, Bai—you might know him—reported back immediately to tell us what happened," Hadan went on. "We discussed what would be our next move before we sent him back. He is to act as an eyewitness in the dump and share what we told him with Konoha's police force. He's coming back later this afternoon to tell us if the woman is in custody. If she is, we will send another assassin, a better one, to finish her off for good."

Itachi cocked his head. "Who's going to do it?"

The watchman beamed and opened his mouth. But then another voice beat him to it, and his speaker was speechless.

"Itachi?"

Itachi whipped to the man exiting a tent. Jet black hair. Even darker eyes.

"Sasuke."

~.~

Sakura clenched her fists as Pon encircled her and the interrogation table. She was being questioned again, only this time, the suspicion was on her.

"Where were you last night between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m?" the officer asked.

"Sleeping," Sakura answered, glaring at him when he neared her with narrowed eyes.

 _"Back off!"_ Inner snarled.

"Do you have someone to validate that statement?" Pon added.

Sakura's knuckles turned white. "No."

Pon huffed before sitting on the chair across the table. "An anonymous source informed us that he spotted you at the dump last night," he said. "He said he saw you carrying a large plastic bag."

Sakura paled.

"When we obtained the bag, we saw a burned carcass inside," Pon went on. "I won't argue with you anymore about the matter. What I'm asking is permission to search your house."

 _"Permission denied!"_ Inner declared.

"I'm being framed," Sakura stated as steadily as she could. "I'm not responsible for this."

"Do you give us permission to search your house?" Pon repeated.

 _"No!"_

"No," Sakura growled.

"We have an eyewitness, Ms. Hatake," he reminded. "If you don't grant us permission, then we'll request a search warrant. One way or another, we _will_ get into that house."

Sakura's eyes widened. Pon tried to maintain a professional face, but she was close enough to see his lips curve upward.

 _"That bastard is taunting us!"_ Inner realized.

"Do you _want_ me to be responsible for this?" Sakura asked.

"I want the truth," Pon corrected. "And the truth is your father is still missing, and the burned carcass looked just about his size."

Sakura stiffened.

 _"Did he just…"_

"Are you accusing me of," Sakura sat straight, " _killing_ my father?"

"I'm only going by what I see, Ms. Hatake," Pon stated. "And I see evidence that this isn't a missing case, but a murder."

"I didn't kill my father!" Sakura yelled.

 _"You're not getting into my house!_ _You'r_ _—_ _"_

"You're not getting into _anything_!" Sakura screeched.

"You're in no position to make that statement," Pon remarked. "When the judg—"

"I said _no_!"

The officer leaped back as the table collapsed between them. The furniture split in two, Sakura's fists hovering above it.

Sakura cupped her mouth.

"You…" Pon unsheathed his baton, "monster!"

Officers stormed into the room and pinned the shaken Sakura to the ground. They were able to handcuff her and hold a baton against her temple.

"You're not getting away with this," Pon towered over her. "You're going away once and for all...Haruno."

Sakura gasped. "No!"

A baton struck her hard in the back of the head. She saw Pon smirk before seeing nothing at all.

~.~

Itachi struggled to keep his eyes straight. The nightmare made it hard to look at his brother.

"I can't believe you're here," Sasuke gave Itachi a tight hug. He wasn't known to be affectionate, especially in public. But he rarely saw his dear brother, and his joy was too great to contain.

"I'll leave you two alone," Hadan grinned. He gave Sasuke a knowing nod before dismissing himself.

"Sasuke," Itachi called, "I wasn't able to ask you before because you were unconscious at the time. Could we speak in private?"

The younger sibling beamed. "Of course!"

They traveled far until they reached a tall waterfall. It was Itachi's proposition, knowing that the waters would muffle their conversation.

"How much do you remember of the day the Haruno attacked you?" Itachi asked.

"Enough," Sasuke answered. "A squad and I were on a mission when she attacked. If her son didn't call out to her, she would've killed us."

"Hold on," Itachi stopped. "This woman has a _son_?"

"Yeah," Sasuke answered. "He was far so I couldn't see him, but the second he called out to her, the woman fled."

Itachi tucked his hands into his pockets. He couldn't stop his fists from shaking, so he hid them instead.

"You and I _will_ defeat them, Brother," Sasuke vowed. "I've gotten a lot stronger since the attack. You'll know that at the end of this mission."

Itachi bit the skin behind his lip. "What makes you so sure?"

"Because I'm the assassin, Itachi," Sasuke declared. " _I'm_ going to kill the Haruno."


	13. So You Can Face Against the Others'

Hello, everyone, and a late Happy New Year! I hope you're having a good one so far. Mine is...interesting, to say the least. Anyway, I want to thank you for helping the story reach 108 favorites and 181 follows. I am deeply touched by your support and honored to write a story you enjoy.

As an added note, if you are open to novel suggestions, I highly recommend _A Long Way Gone_ by Ishmael Beah. It's an amazing book that shook me to my very core and has definitely influenced this story.

* * *

Konoha's prison wasn't as bad as Sakura had expected. Well, at least the cage the militia threw her in wasn't. It was roomy enough for one person and fit snugly at the corner of a cadet's office. Outside the cage was a small desk covered in paperwork an officer was working on. The officer looked to be in about his early thirties. Once it was 12:30 p.m, he started to pack his belongings. Sakura felt a sense of relief as he headed toward the door. But then Pon entered the room, exchanged quiet words with the officer, and then approached the jail when the cadet dismissed himself.

"We found fresh burn marks in what we presume is your bedroom," he stated. "You're sick in the head, you know that? That man raised you."

"You're wrong!" Sakura interjected, crushing the metal bars into sheets. "Yes, I admit to killing that man in the bag, but it wasn't my father! An assassin from the Uchiha clan was in my room and tried to kill me!"

"Who _wouldn't_ be trying to kill you?" Pon seethed. "You were supposed to _burn_ with the rest of your clan; but here you are, causing more death to those that don't deserve it!"

Sakura's eyes widened. Her mouth hung open before closing to grind her teeth. "What have I done to you?" she asked. "What did my _clan_ do to you? What could have possibly happened to justify the constant torment brought upon me?"

"What have you done?" Pon repeated. "What have you _done_? What _haven't_ you _done_?"

Sakura jumped back when his fist hit the bars. Pon's eyes were sharp, his breath loud and heavy in her ears.

"My mother fought in The Infall and was imprisoned by Haruno soldiers," the officer started. "They beat her, raped her, and then killed her and her unborn child. My father wanted to avenge her but wasn't strong enough to defeat the clan. But he had to take out his fury somehow, so he took it out on me."

Sakura gasped. The Infall was the war that ravaged the Fire Country for five years. It was also the same war that wiped the Haruno clan from the face of the earth. Sakura had thought that loss was the worst thing that could happen to a child in war. But with Pon revealing to her another kind of suffering, she started to realize how blind she had been. What did she really know about the darkness of this world, and how much did she not?

"I thought the Harunos finally paid their debt by disappearing, but _you_ just had to survive," Pon seethed. "But you're not going to be out here for long. Your clan's curse of destruction ends tonight."

He struck the jail one last time before storming out of the room. Sakura stood frozen until the officer slammed the door behind him.

" _I told you you're wasting your time,"_ Inner's voice echoed. " _You did everything in your power to save people's lives; but the second they found out who you were, they couldn't wait to tear out yours."_

Sakura clenched her fists. "This isn't the time for your remarks."

" _You do realize you don't have to stay here, right?"_ Inner pointed out. " _You could literally escape_ anytime _. You have the power to turn into petals and even_ air _, for crying out loud! So why are we still here?"_

"To end this!" Sakura screamed, throwing her hands up in surrender. "I may have spent my whole life in fear and secrecy, but I'd rather have it be me than anyone else. If people kill me just as they have always wanted and see that it doesn't fix anything, then maybe...maybe the injustice will stop."

Inner scoffed. " _You, fool. Do you really think it will end with you?"_ it asked. " _Don't you think that after you die, people will just find someone else to antagonize?"_

Sakura stiffened, its words chilling her like a cold wind.

" _How are you even sure you're the only one going through this?"_ the voice went on. " _You've never seen the world—only heard stories of it like a naive child. Face it, Sakura. You're not here to_ sacrifice _yourself. You're still here because you don't want to face everyone else's demons."_

Sakura shielded her ears. But how could one block a voice that came from inside her head?

" _You don't want to know about other people's pain because it would make yours seem minuscule, a tiny grain of sand in a vast desert,"_ Inner taunted. " _You're not special, no matter how unique you think you are. You can choose to die tonight or any other day; but when you are gone, no one is going to miss you."_

"No!"

Sakura collapsed onto the ground and let her forehead hit the bars. The root of her fears was finally revealed. As much as she wanted to tie it with insecurity, there was too much evidence to describe it as anything but the truth. The world spent years building resentment toward her and her very existence. Her life wouldn't do anything good. It would only bring hopelessness, proving that despite many efforts to bring peace, evil and chaos would find a way to perpetuate the suffering. And the worst part was that she wasn't the only one. Other scapegoats would live on and take her place, and she would just be another stain in history that would be covered among the others.

In helplessness that had captured her once again, Sakura cupped her mouth and wept.

~.~

" _What_?" Itachi demanded.

Sasuke blinked. Itachi might've still maintained his blank expression, but it was obvious from the rising volume of his voice that he wasn't pleased. It was rare to see his brother display so much emotion. Curious, Sasuke held his words and listened.

"I thought you were here to transport supplies or stand watch," his brother went on. "How could you have been allowed to be an assassin?"

"I've been training to be one for a long time," Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "You don't think I can handle it?"

"This isn't about _strength_ , Sasuke," Itachi responded. "You're taking another person's _life_! Can you live with yourself after becoming a _murderer_?"

"Why not?" Sasuke remarked, his voice rising as well. "You did."

Itachi grunted. How could his younger brother live for almost twenty-six years yet treated homicide like it was just another chore? Itachi had purposely kept his distance to prevent this from happening.

"I did what was required of me," the older Uchiha stated, "but I will not stand by to see you do the same thing."

"Don't tell me what to do!" Sasuke snapped. "You've shown no interest in me for _years_ to make a name for yourself! But now that I want to do the same thing, you're going to tell me to not do it and expect me to listen?"

"I don't do what I do to make a name for myself," Itachi growled, irked by the callousness of his words. "I do it so you won't have to."

Sasuke scoffed. "Don't pretend you're doing _anything_ for me," he said. "And even if you are, you're not responsible for what happens to me. _I_ am. If you have nothing else to say, I'm preparing for this mission. With or without you."

Itachi was at a loss for words as his brother walked away. He had just shared more to him than he ever had in his life, and Sasuke didn't just express disbelief in his words, but dismissal as well. Itachi realized now that neglecting his brother wasn't right but didn't expect his attempts to make amends to be fruitless. The damage had been done, as it would seem. It didn't matter how guilty Itachi was and how far he would go to make up for the mistakes he had done. He wasn't going to get redemption. Not from Sakura, not from Sasuke—not from anyone. He had committed unspeakable crimes that would punish him in every waking and sleeping moment of his life. There would be no happy ending to his story. He didn't deserve one.

But before his story ends, Itachi turned his head to the west, there was one more thing he had to do.

~.~

Sakura was sitting against the wall with her head on her knees when the wooden door opened once again. She lifted her head, thankful for the stimulus that wasn't the voice in her head, and then froze. Neither Pon nor the cadet had entered the room. Two tall men in black armor did. She didn't recognize the one that had drawn his sword but did recognize the one standing behind him: Itachi.

Sakura's fists clenched. There was no doubt in her mind that Itachi was the one that sold her out. Inner was giving her an earful about how stupid she was for believing there was good in him, and Sakura couldn't agree more. No one would want her dead more than Itachi. After all, the man was known to always fulfill his mission, and she didn't make it easy for him.

So how surprised was she to see Itachi strike her would-be assassin from behind.

"Bro...ther," Sasuke muttered. His sword fell from his hand and landed loudly onto the ground. Then, with his brother's careful handling, so did his body.

Itachi stood over his brother's body, his gaze portraying a mixture of sadness and finality. Then, as if remembering the situation, lifted his eyes to meet Sakura's. His hand reached into his pocket as he made his way to the jail. When it reappeared, it presented a key.

"What," Sakura maintained her distance as the door clicked open, "what are you doing?"

"Getting you out of here," Itachi answered.

Sakura flinched when his hand disappeared again into a pouch. She didn't know what to expect at this point, so was only moderately surprised when the man revealed a scroll.

"Listen to me carefully," Itachi ordered softly. "Uchiha soldiers are coming here from the north and east. Head south toward your secret island as elusively as you can. If the soldiers somehow manage to corner you in, open this scroll, and you will immediately be sent there. But this scroll can only be used once, so use it wisely." He extended the parchment to her and waited for Sakura to take it. When she didn't move, he added, "Hurry. They'll be here at any moment."

But Sakura stood her ground. "Why are you doing this?" she asked him. "What..what will you gain from it?"

Itachi shot her a glare, a silent protest to her hard-headedness, and stepped forward. Sakura didn't step back when he came too close. She only watched, curious to see how he would react to her defiance.

"I've done horrible things," Itachi told her. "I don't deserve forgiveness, happiness, or even..." he slowly raised a hand as if to touch her. Then, after a thought, he lowered it. "...goodness."

Sakura stiffened, remembering what he had referred to her when they were in somewhat better terms.

"But you do," he continued. "I can't give you back your family or a life without prejudice but I can give you a chance to escape death once again. You're still alive for a purpose, Sakura. Go and fulfill that purpose."

Sakura bit her lip to prevent herself from trembling. So much emotion overwhelmed her, and none of them felt right. So without thinking, the clan survivor snatched the scroll and fled, leaving Itachi alone inside the prison bars.

~.~

Sasuke returned to his feet as soon as his eyes opened but was too late. Sakura Haruno, his first and most important target, was gone. Taking her place was his older brother, who was sitting against the wall with an arm propped on his knee.

"Itachi," Sasuke recovered his sword and marched to the jail, "what have you _done_?"

"I let her go," Itachi answered, his voice as unengaged as his stare.

" _Why_?" Sasuke seethed. "She's an _enemy_!"

He waited for Itachi to explain himself, but like many times before, the older sibling shared nothing. It was infuriating that no matter what Sasuke did, he and his brother would never be on the same side. But tonight was different. Itachi was no longer just a distant brother, but a traitor. He could be tortured into revealing the Haruno's whereabouts and then killed for his attempts to help her. Itachi knew this more than he did; he was the better sibling, after all. So why did he look so nonchalant, like his death would mean nothing to him—like his absence wouldn't mean anything to _anyone?_ Did Itachi even care that he had family and comrades that would be appalled by his actions but grieve for his demise?

As Sasuke fumed, three soldiers from the Uchiha camp entered the small room. One of them was Shikei, a soldier known for executing enemies and keeping the troops in line. "Where is the Haruno?" he asked when he didn't see Sakura. He turned to Sasuke and waited for him to answer. When the younger sibling didn't turn around, he regarded the older one. "Itachi?"

Sasuke's teeth ground in anger, but his eyes expressed not just fury but fear. Did he have the nerve to expose his own brother? If he didn't, he would also be a traitor. But if he did, he would _kill his brother_.

The young Uchiha bit back the urge to scream, punch the air, and burn the building down. He didn't want to make any decisions. He wanted to erase this day.

Itachi, on the other hand, had other plans. He exposed himself, refused to disclose Sakura's location, and allowed the soldiers to bind his hands and raise a blade to his throat. He wouldn't live to have a trial, Shikei declared. Tonight, Itachi was going to be executed in front of not just his fellow soldiers, but also the brother that once believed in him.

Sasuke couldn't stop his fists from shaking. Even after the final toss onto the camp's ground, Itachi had yet to express pain nor fear. It was like he was already dead, and the man crouching at the center of the camp was just a hollowed shell of the person he used to be. But did Sasuke really know his older brother? The closer Shikei got to the assassin, the more unsure and afraid the young Uchiha became.

"Goodbye," Shikei ignited a ball of flame, "Itachi."

A thick string of heat launched from his hand, only to have most it explode in his face. When the fire disappeared, the lieutenant didn't see Itachi but a narrow strip of earth.

Itachi's head cocked when Sakura's coat waved into his vision. Sasuke and the other clansmen froze in shock, giving the Haruno enough time to take out the scroll.

Sasuke, realizing what she was doing, lunged toward her. But he wasn't quick enough. Before his nails could even claw the air Sakura breathed, Sakura and Itachi were gone.


	14. Don't Listen to Your Heart Alone

Hello and welcome to another chapter! I want to thank you again for your constant support for this story. It's my favorite romantic one to update, and I'm glad you love it almost if not just as much as I do. To maintain a manageable pace, I might publish some moments of the novel into separate one-shots.

Chapter's Song for Inspiration: "Dangerous" feat. Linea by Two Steps from Hell

* * *

Sakura's legs wobbled beneath her until her knees hit the grass. To her surprise, the scroll that Itachi gave her had really taken her back to her secret island. It was night time now, just as she had met him there, and the winds were becoming just as cold.

Speaking of Itachi…

Sakura turned and froze. Itachi was behind her, as she had hoped, but barely. His eyes were blackened and bleeding, parts of his skin were sliced off, and sections of his body were dislocated in unnatural angles. Just as Sasuke had seconds before, Sakura felt like she was looking at a corpse. And to her horror, his left cheek had a line of burned muscle.

Her hands immediately glowed green before roaming his body. She struggled to maintain control of her energy as she repaired every wrong she could detect. The man was in no doubt tortured to reveal her location and refused just long enough to get to the brink of death. Sakura didn't know what pained her more: the fact that the man had endured such suffering for her sake or the fact that everyone was just going to watch him die if she hadn't stepped in. When Itachi looked like he was conscious enough to provide answers, Sakura asked the first of her many questions.

"How did they burn you?"

Itachi lifted his eyes to Sakura's glossy ones. He wasn't about to say anything, but the look she was giving to his burn was destroying him.

"Don't blame yourself," he grumbled, his voice still a bit hoarse from the beating on his throat. "You did the best you could." His brother had practically left him for dead, and the woman that saved him was the one that was feeling guilty? There was no justice.

Sakura gritted her teeth. She didn't intend to be that transparent. Though Itachi was probably just perceptive, she couldn't help but wonder if her ineptitude was what led to her loved ones' demise.

"I said stop blaming yourself."

"Why should I?" Sakura snapped, her energy spiking over his burn injury. "Everyone that had loved me died to protect me, and you would've too if I hadn't taken you away."

"Why do you keep antagonizing yourself?" Itachi hissed. "Don't you see yourself as a person worthy of saving? Do you think so lowly of yourself that the very idea of helping you repulses you?"

Sakura bit her lip. Both of them knew the answers to his questions, and she didn't want to divulge further into them. She wanted to return to his injury, which was taking too long to heal.

"How did you get _burned_?" she insisted. "You're an Uchiha. An Uchiha's fire shouldn't have been able to hurt you."

Itachi's jaws clenched. "They've disowned me from the clan. They cast a spell so I would no longer wield their fire nor be immune from it."

Sakura's hand froze, almost halting her energy altogether. "You…got yourself disowned for me?"

Itachi narrowed his eyes.

"But you had everything!" she yelled. "Family, friends, and people that admired and respected you. I've spent my whole _life_ trying to gain what you have, and you threw it all away, for what? A person everybody didn't want alive in the first place?"

She gasped when Itachi's hand grabbed hers. It amazed her that even in his battered state, the man was still fast and strong enough to hurt her if he wanted to.

"What makes you think that I had everything?" he squeezed. "And what makes you think that I'd throw it away for you?"

Sakura gulped. "Th-The man that tried to kill me the other night told me who you were. So did my stepdad when he was still alive. You were loved and respected by everyone. All those who knew you expected great things from you. You had the life that I'll never have, and you threw it away!"

Itachi squeezed harder, almost hurting her. But Sakura didn't take her hand back. She looked right into his eyes, daring him to refute her statements.

"I don't have _everything_ ," Itachi spat. "I was raised to become someone I hated so much I wanted to kill myself. I endured it so my brother wouldn't have to; but in the end, he became what I never wanted him to be and would've burned me himself if he had the chance. You were raised by people that _loved_ you, Sakura. Loved you so much, they were willing to die for you. All those people you claimed loved and respected me only wanted me for what I could provide. The second I wanted to do the right thing, they stripped me of my name and sentenced me to be a part of their body count. I didn't 'throw away my life' just to save you. I did it because it would've been the only good thing I've done."

Sakura clenched her fists. This was another situation that reminded her that her own suffering wasn't the only suffering. But she didn't know what to feel anymore. First, she feared Itachi, then hated him, and then went out of her way to save him. Everything should've been as simple as the stories in her novels, in which the characters would always know what to feel in every situation. But this was reality. Things weren't always that simple.

But his last sentence irked her.

"Only good?" Sakura quoted. "By _killing yourself_?"

"It's called a sacrifice," Itachi corrected. "There's a difference."

"No, there isn't!" Sakura remarked. "It doesn't matter why you do it, you still _die_ at the end! You could've fought back. Maybe even escaped with me before the soldiers could confront you in the first place! But you didn't, because you _wanted_ to die back there, didn't you?"

Silence.

" _Didn't_ _you?_ "

"Yes," Itachi confirmed, releasing his hold so her hand could fall onto her lap. "I'm not supposed to be here with you. I wasn't supposed to survive my execution."

Sakura growled. "You, hypocrite!" she inched closer to his face. "When I take my life into my own hands, it's wrong; but when _you_ do it, it's _right_?"

"You have more to live for than I do," Itachi told her. "I—"

"Shut up!" she pointed, effectively silencing him. "How can I believe that I have more to live for if you don't believe that yourself? You and I aren't that different. Our _stories_ may be different, but our suffering isn't! My life isn't more valuable than yours just like your life isn't more valuable than mine; so don't expect me to believe that _garbage_ about me having more of a right to live than you do. Because I don't. If I have more to live for on this earth, then so do you."

Itachi had nothing to say. This time, it wasn't due to the lack of interest but to the lack of words. No one had ever put him in his place like that. He was glorified or slandered for his greatness but not once had he been regarded as an equal. For once in his life, he didn't feel like an outcast. He felt vulnerable, normal…

Human.

Sakura seemed to have similar thoughts as she restored the distance between them. She couldn't believe that just a couple days ago, she had associated Itachi with the fearsome power of his clan's element. But now that he was another victim of its force, she was seeing him alternatively. Like the curtain had been pulled back, and an opportunity arose to see the man behind the fear and prejudice.

The pinkette held back the urge to cup his face. It hurt that even at the brink of death, Itachi was beautiful. Sakura no longer saw him as a threat but a fellow survivor. They didn't need to fight.

She gasped and sat up.

They needed to escape.

"We need to get out of here," Sakura declared. "Your clansmen are probably looking for us."

Itachi was about to say something but was shocked by the sudden return of her energy. He felt her work quickly at his eyes, which momentarily blurred his vision, before returning to his burn. The Uchiha flame might not have touched him that deeply, but it still took a while for Sakura to close his injury into a scar. It was the best she could do for now. Her extensive treatment had exhausted her. She sat still to catch her breath.

"Don't strain yourself," he ordered softly. "If they do confront us, you need to have the strength to defend yourself."

Sakura shook her head and stood. "I can do it," she said. "Now get up."

Itachi raised an eyebrow as he too returned to his feet. How the Haruno could go from being hopeless to stubbornly determined was beyond him. But from the myriad of emotions Sakura had made him feel, the strongest one was curiosity. He was more intrigued by her than afraid for their lives.

"Do you know a place where we can hide?" Sakura asked.

"Yes," Itachi nodded, "but we will have to fly through the sky to get there. Can you do it?"

"Yes," Sakura affirmed, ignoring the fact that she was still panting. "Lead the way."

Itachi closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He would have suggested that they waited a few moments for Sakura to regain her energy but knew that she would refute his statements. In all honesty, he would too. They were being hunted down by a group of the most feared assassins in the Fire Country, maybe the world. There was no time to recover. Adrenaline would have to do for now. "Henshin."

His form gradually shrunk as his skin was replaced with black feathers. His arms extended into wings while the legs shortened into talons. Sakura held her breath as a beak replaced his thin lips. Itachi's eyes shrunk into sharp dots but retained its alluring dark gray shade. Once the transformation was complete, Itachi's head cocked expectantly. Sakura nodded and closed her eyes.

"Henshin."

Itachi watched her disappear and then felt her gently blow against his chest. She was a very timid wind, he thought. He could feel her hesitating to touch him.

Itachi turned to the sky and flapped his wings. The moon had disappeared by the time they emerged from the cavern's gap. The dark clouds were rolling in, growling.

The two of them soared with Itachi leading them into an opening in the canyon wall. Once inside, they materialized back into their human forms. Moonlight was scarce enough with the storm clouds hovering the land when it completely disappeared. When Itachi turned toward the exit, he discovered that it was now sealed by a stone wall. There were cracks on the shield that were thin enough to look natural but wide enough to allow light and air inside. Whatever the case, the opening was now an almost pitch-black cavern, and he struggled to see the woman in there with him.

"Sakura?" he called out.

What responded was not a voice but a thump. Itachi quickly but carefully searched the area until he could make out Sakura's body lying on the ground. Conjuring the stone wall had drained the last of the Haruno's energy. Now she needed rest. A lot of it.

Itachi squinted to see that her eyes were closed. His eyes were finally adjusting to the darkness, and he used this to carry Sakura deeper into the cavern so she could lay more comfortably. Rain had started to fall by the time he brought her at the end of their retreat. The rhythm was smooth but soothing. It relaxed Itachi's muscles and granted the illusion that they weren't in danger. It wasn't until the raindrops battered the stone wall did he return to their dire situation. The rain and winds were getting colder. Soon enough, Sakura began to shiver.

"Oh no," Itachi muttered, unconsciously placing a hand upon her shoulder. He couldn't conjure a fire in such a confined space nor did he think it would be appropriate after what he and Sakura had experienced with it. They had to find another way to stay warm. If the Uchiha soldiers didn't kill them, then the weather would.

Without another thought, he gathered Sakura into his arms and held her against his chest. He positioned the rest of her body between his legs and rested her head in the crook of his neck. Sakura would probably scold him when she woke up. But as long as she awoke at all, Itachi decided, he would take it.

He closed his eyes and went to sleep.

* * *

Henhin - Transformation

Translation provided by kanjijapanese.


	15. It May Hold Your Desires

Hello, everyone! I am very, _very_ sorry this was published so late. My busy weekend began early, starting on the first day of editing; so I had to cram two days of revisions into the Monday I had promised I would have the chapter up. Again, I deeply apologize. I can only hope today's read would be worth the wait.

Songs for Inspiration:  
"The Ring of Winter" by Two Steps From Hell  
"Compass" by Two Steps From Hell  
"Remember Me" by Thomas Bergersen  
"She Is The Sunlight" by Trading Yesterday

* * *

Sakura opened her eyes to a field of fire. Houses and soil were ablaze while people fled, fought, or burned into ashes. The pinkette escaped from the fire, but her assailant had a mind of its own. It pursued her like a storm of heat, setting ablaze anything she could use to shield herself. Sakura ran until she reached the shore of a sea and exhaled when the waters brushed her hips. The fire wouldn't get to her now.

But when she turned around, she didn't see the storm of fire. She saw her parents. Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno stood at the shoreline hand in hand, gazing at her with a longing expression.

Sakura trudged back. "Mom!" she called out through the waters. "Dad!"

But the waters grew deeper. They pushed past her shoulders, rising until they covered her head.

Sakura coughed and kicked to stay afloat.

She barely broke the surface when her stepfather appeared behind her parents. Kakashi also shared their longing gaze; only his expression was more desolate. He was a wise man. He knew things Sakura needed time to understand. But Sakura didn't need to wait to know why he was so heartsick. Realization hit her like a knife to the heart. She wasn't going to see them again. The second she closed her eyes, they would be gone. Forever.

The waters swallowed her whole.

Sakura screamed and flailed, but her body continued to sink. She gurgled and choked as the ocean filled her lungs. All she had to do was close her mouth, but she couldn't stop screaming. Her eyes burned to stay open at the surface. But the light above was dimming. The last color she had seen before everything went black was red.

A sudden shove caused Sakura to jerk. When she opened her eyes, she was soaked in not ocean water but in sweat. She was dreaming, she realized. It was just a dream.

Then she realized she could barely move. Large muscular arms locked around her torso. Toned pectorals rose and fell rapidly against her back, while a chin dug onto the top of her head.

Sakura raised a fist. Then, with a rapid turn, pummeled her assailant right on his cheek. She heard a faint crack as the attacker landed on the ground. She didn't need to see what had happened to know that she had broken his jaw.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

A heavy pause set into the dark silence. Then, a very familiar voice broke it.

"Forgive me. You were cold, and I didn't know how else to provide warmth to you."

Sakura froze, realizing what she had done. As far as she could remember, that was the first time she had directly attacked Itachi. But had she not done it out of self-defense? He was crushing her in his arms! Why was she in his arms in the first place?

She then remembered what Itachi had answered and was about to pardon him. But she didn't. She was still tense from what was certainly another nightmare. She was also alone in a pitch black cave with a man that, despite everything that had happened, she still couldn't trust. Knowing she was only in such a situation because she was hiding from assassins didn't help matters. Not even the sound of raindrops was enough to settle her nerves.

"I'm sorry. I really am," Itachi emphasized. "I will ask for your consent before doing such a thing again."

His voice was graveled as if just awoken from slumber. It pained Sakura to know that he might also be weathering the injury she had caused him herself. She should have apologized right then and there. The man had already suffered a beating to protect her. Awarding him another attack wasn't just unfair and unnecessary; it was abusive.

But then Inner planted an idea in her mind, an idea Sakura hated herself for not being able to refute.

" _He could've killed you."_

Itachi had not directly caused her harm, repented for his discretions, and risked his life to save hers, Sakura reminded herself again and again. Yet she still couldn't relax. She wouldn't even shift uncomfortably because the movement would give away her position. Itachi might mean well but was still dangerous. If he hadn't regained a conscience, then he would have been hunting her down with the rest of his clan. Sakura still couldn't figure out what to think of him. Situations like this were making things worse.

"I won't harm you; I promise," Itachi vowed. His tone was steady, but it was clear that he was guilty of his actions. "If you'd like, once we are certain that my clansmen had departed, I will leave you on your own."

Sakura covered her ears. Stop apologizing, she wanted to tell him. No, scream at him. She had intentionally hurt him, that was what happened. Whether it was out of self-defense didn't matter. She resorted to violence to defend herself, and Itachi wasn't just mad at her; he was _apologizing_ to her.

Before Sakura could help it, tears welled in her eyes. She was grateful for the darkness now, for, with it, Itachi couldn't see that she was crying. She didn't even know why she was crying in the first place. No, she did. She was angry at her confusion. Angry at everything.

Another wave of silence passed within the cavern. Sakura was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn't hear the rain softening outside the walls. She was oblivious to the storm clouds fading into mist, and the moon emerging from their shadows. The world was invisible until moonlight seeped into the cave. Sakura could see her surroundings now. Specifically, the man across the cave.

To her disbelief, Itachi had fallen asleep again. But his countenance was far from peaceful. His eyes squeezed shut while his body jerk from side to side. Sakura realized then that Itachi wasn't trying to crush her earlier. He was trying to find comfort in her.

Sakura crawled from her side of the cavern and back to Itachi's. She treated his jaw as soon as she saw the dislocated structure, twitching a smile when she saw him lull. Then, with more courage than she thought she needed, she pulled the rest of him into her arms.

Itachi stiffened against her but didn't resist nor move away. He was bigger than Sakura expected. His torso extended about two inches past hers. As awkward as their embrace was, neither the pink-haired nor gray-eyed beauty made a move to disengage. Itachi's head fell limp with nothing to lean on but wasn't asleep. In fact, Sakura felt his gaze on the side of her head, questioning her actions and the motives behind them.

"I'm sorry," Sakura apologized. "You looked frightened."

Itachi flinched and did something strange. He inched back to regain the distance between them but then fell back as if the gap made him feel vulnerable. Sakura pressed her cheek against his chest.

"It's okay," she whispered. "I get nightmares too."

Itachi reposed as the night settled around them. When Sakura's back and legs began to ache, she moved until they were both leaning against the wall. Itachi's warmth surrounded her cold body. To expedite the process, Sakura snuggled closer to it. She wasn't sure what she was doing and why. She was tired, confused, terrified, and, strangely, calm at the same time. If she were to think about her actions, she was certain she wouldn't be thinking about them clearly.

Oh well, Sakura thought as Itachi relaxed his hold of her. He had fallen asleep again. He was so warm and moved so slowly. Before Sakura knew it, she had fallen asleep as well.

~.~

When Sakura awoke, it was because a bright light was flashing her eyelids. She moaned and turned away from it, then realized her head was stuck between something soft and firm. That was right, she remembered. She and Itachi had fallen asleep in each other's arms.

Sakura slowly rose until she was sitting upright. She didn't realize that Itachi was still sleeping until she felt his thighs stir around her. His dark gray eyes opened and adjusted to the light. Then they scanned her to make sure she was alright.

"Good morning," Sakura cooed, flattered by his silent concern.

Itachi blinked before he too sat up straight. When he stood and stretched to awaken his sleeping muscles, Sakura rose to do the same.

"Did you sleep well?" Itachi asked. Sleep still graveled his voice, and Sakura couldn't help but shiver.

"Yes," she answered. "Did you?"

Itachi nodded. Sakura grinned in approval, then sobered when he approached the cavern's seal. She had almost forgotten that they were running for their life. Their pursuers have probably woken before they have and were taking advantage of the bright morning to search for them.

"I'm going to scan the area," Itachi declared while peering through a crack. "Would you kindly create a space for me to go through? I only need a small one, as I will be flying as a crow."

Sakura looked at him, really looked at him. It wasn't until Itachi looked back did she finally break her gaze.

"Alright," she nodded.

A hand extended toward the wall.

"Aita."

Upon command, a small hole conjured at the corner of the rocky shield. When Sakura turned back to Itachi, he had already transformed into a crow. The bird nodded in gratitude before hopping out of the hole. Sakura didn't know why, but she had the urge to stop him before he flew away.

Seconds turned into minutes, and the minutes felt like hours. When Itachi returned inside the cave, Sakura was back on the ground with her head between her knees. She sat surprisingly close to the exit. If Itachi hadn't kept his eyes on the cavern as he descended, he would have jabbed her with his beak.

He morphed back into his human form and sat beside her. "The clansmen are indeed searching the area, though there aren't many of them," he informed. "Some have probably left the town assuming we have too."

Sakura nodded mutely. She stared at the wall across her, refusing to look at him.

"Is something bothering you?" Itachi asked.

"When you flew away, I felt like I was losing everything all over again," Sakura confessed. "Why?"

She hadn't meant to be up-front, but her mind and body acted on their own. She had always shared what was in her heart. Itachi might not know and love her like her parents and stepfather did, but he would suffice. He had to. It was either him or Inner, and Sakura was tired of listening to the loud voice inside her head.

Fortunately for her, Itachi was more than willing to listen. He leaned back against the wall, staring at the same space she was.

"As you have said, you have lost everything," he reminded. "It will take time for you to cope with this trauma."

"You just lost everything too," Sakura pointed out. "How will _you_ cope?"

Itachi blinked as if just realizing the truth in her words. He realized what had happened to him long before Sakura pointed it out. He was just surprised that someone had asked what he thought of it. Unlike Sakura, the ex-Uchiha never shared what was in his heart.

"I will get by," he told her simply.

Sakura turned to him, confusion in her eyes. " _How_?"

"I don't think about my circumstances," Itachi returned her expression with a blank look. "They are too painful."

Sakura bit her lip. "Don't suppress the pain," she almost pleaded. "Just as my father told me, it will only grow stronger until you finally face it. And when you do face it, it will cause irreparable damage to your heart."

But Itachi was unfazed. He only gave her a long, calculated look and whispered, "You can't damage something that is already broken."

Sakura's lips parted in shock. Itachi knew that he was in pain but didn't just ignore it; he also didn't discuss it. If Sakura was struggling with the loneliness she had acquired just recently, then how much more had Itachi, who was probably dealing with it all his life?

"I've never fixed a broken heart before," Sakura shared, smiling before adding, "but I can try if you'd let me."

She watched his eyes widen. He was confused and caught off-guard by her offer, and she couldn't blame him. She herself had been wondering what they were and how they should behave. She was still wondering, if she were to be completely honest; but instead of being frustrated, she became curious. Speculation and theories could only go so far. What if, instead of tormenting herself with her tormented mind, she let her heart decide?

It was a leap of faith. Sakura didn't realize she made the jump until Itachi extended the silence between them. He gave her a long gaze, as if studying her, and she yearned to know what he was thinking. She could hear her heart pound against her chest. Then felt it stop when Itachi finally spoke.

"You can help me fix my heart, but," Itachi smiled, "only if I can help you fix yours."

A grin spread across Sakura's face. Tears threatened to fall as they bordered at the edges of her lashes. She didn't know why she was so happy, but once again, she wasn't frustrated. The unknown would always be there, as it would seem.

Only this time, Sakura didn't feel alone in it.

* * *

Aita - Open

Translations provided by Google Translate.


	16. But It Also Holds

Hooray! I'm posting this a day early. And by early, I mean less than an hour before the beginning of the due date. It's the least I can do for being tardy with the last one. I also wanted to sleep early for work tomorrow and don't want to wait until midnight. Anyway, I hope you like reading this one. To those who anticipate reading Itachi and Sakura's relationship bloom, the blooming progresses here.

Songs for Inspiration:  
"Solstice Sun" by Audiomachine  
"Above and Beyond" by Audiomachine  
"The Truth" by Audiomachine  
"Apotheosis" by Audiomachine  
"Life Chronicles" by Audiomachine  
"Turning Point" by Audiomachine

* * *

Waking up that morning felt like submersing into another dream Sakura was certain she was having. But then her body's needs made themselves known, and she was soon facing something more normal but just as urgent.

The need to use the bathroom.

Relieving herself had been quite embarrassing. Itachi performed his business in his crow form, but Sakura still needed to do what she needed to do as a human. She was too afraid to use any leaves as toilet paper in fear that they might end up being poisonous. Fortunately, the duo didn't have to travel far until they found a lake that provided the water they needed. Sakura never felt the urge to boast her ability, but how proud was she to be able to bend the water and boulders to her advantage?

And how grateful was she that Itachi was far from disturbed? She and the man might have had their moments but were never close enough to reveal _that_ kind of private business with one another. It took Sakura almost two years to be comfortable with Kakashi, and he was her stepfather. How much more with Itachi, who was...well, _Itachi_?

But the embarrassing part of their morning had passed, and it was time for another bodily need to be considered: hunger. Sakura had not eaten since breakfast of yesterday. The traumatic events might have distracted her; but now that she was somewhat more at ease, the weight of her famine was setting upon her. She needed to eat, but what? She couldn't go back to town, even if she had the money she didn't have anymore. Itachi was just as restricted due to his association with her. Though that might not be a problem for him either since he could eat almost anything in big portions as a bird.

Sakura would have become irritable due to her hunger and frustration if it wasn't for what she was seeing around her. She had never explored the world outside Konoha's borders, so had no idea what to see and how to react. For example, she had never seen what a river looked like until a shallow one appeared in their path. It was a broad structure sided with gray oval stones and roughly-textured trees. Then, when Itachi detected a group of people headed their way, she followed him into a crevice walled by grainy, light orange earth. Beams of sunlight penetrated through the ceiling of leaves, serving as gorgeous spotlights that illuminated their way.

Everywhere the Haruno went, the twenty-six-year-old felt like she was entering a world of one of her novels. She had never yearned for a suspenseful, dramatic life but did yearn to see what it was like to wander past what used to be the safety of her village. Who would have thought that such a horrible situation could lead her to beauty not even her imagination could fathom? If Itachi was an assassin, how much of that beauty had he passed along the way, Sakura wondered.

After almost two hours of trekking, the duo stopped to rest in the center of a grove. The trees surrounding the area weren't as tall as the canyons they've passed but did offer something Itachi took great interest in. With high speed and elegance, Itachi ascended one of the trees and plucked a fruit coated by a thick, magenta shield.

"Have you ever eaten this?" Itachi asked, extending the palm-sized berry to her.

"No," Sakura tried to hold the large fruit in her hand. "What is it?"

"It's called a serat," Itachi informed. "It is a strange fruit because its texture feels and tastes like raw meat; but once it's cooked, it feels and tastes like cooked meat as well."

Sakura's eyes widened. "So...this is the plant version of meat?"

Itachi plucked another berry and studied it. "Hmm, I suppose you can say that."

Sakura simpered. "Well, then this would be quite an experience for me. I've been a vegetarian for as long as I can remember, so I have forgotten what meat tastes like—if I've eaten any at all."

Itachi lowered the fruit. "Have you not eaten meat before?"

"I can't be sure," Sakura confessed. "I don't remember much about my past. It's too painful to remember."

Itachi gave her an understanding nod and motioned forward. "Let us eat some."

Sakura raised an eyebrow and followed him to a group of large rocks. Once seated, she watched Itachi raise the serat and eye her closely.

"Would you like me to cook them?" Itachi asked.

Sakura understood then why he was staring at her so intently. Fire had not been an appealing symbol to them these past few days. The question Itachi posed reminded her why she had been a bit afraid of him back then. The man wielded the very fire that threatened both of their lives. But now that he was ripped from his family name, his flames shouldn't be as harmful as they were before...right?

Sakura nodded to him, but not for her meal to be cooked. She needed to see Itachi's fire again, to see if it would ignite the same fear she felt when she faced the flames of his relatives.

Itachi waited a moment, just in case she changed her mind. When he didn't see hesitation, he sliced the berry in half with his sword and channeled energy into his palms and fingers. He then waited for his energy to heat the fruit's shell. If he did it just enough, he could cook the berry's contents like one would with a pot on a stove. It was something he had done many times before when he was tired of eating fruits and live worms. Once its light pink color changes into brown, the both of them could eat.

But when a minute passed, the fruit retained its hue. Sakura looked up to Itachi; whose narrowed gaze indicated that he was just as confused as she was. Itachi channeled more energy to heat the fruit until the temperature could burst it into flames.

Nothing changed.

"Itachi?" Sakura called softly.

"My fire," Itachi muttered, looking up at her with fractionally-widened eyes. "It's gone."

Sakura immediately knelt beside him and ran her hands over his form. She was careful not to touch him as her energy seeped into his skin. Itachi tried his best to look indifferent. He would have succeeded, as he had with many others. But he was with Sakura. With her closer to him than he had allowed anyone else to, the pinkette was able to see him shiver on the outside and feel the fear and confusion pulsing through him on the inside.

That was why Sakura was so tempted to hold him. They were sharing the same pain and conflict. Sakura wanted to be one with the one person that could understand her. Not to say she wanted to be just like Itachi. Maybe...an empathetic hug? Itachi definitely needed one. They both did.

No, Itachi needed something more. The man watched her eyes open broadly before she trudged back.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You...have the energy...to cast spells," Sakura said as steadily as she could, "but the energy you need to conjure...fire...is gone."

Itachi became still. Others would interpret that as absolute indifference, but Sakura knew better. She wasn't watching him stop caring; she was watching him withdraw.

"Itachi," Sakura quickly reached out to grasp his hand. But Itachi was faster. Instead of taking his hand, she took the berry he held.

"Eat without me," Itachi whispered. "I need to be alone for a moment."

Sakura flinched when he stood and disappeared into trees. She clutched the fruit he had given her, knowing that his distress was powerful enough to overcome the hunger Sakura also detected in his body. Itachi was clearly upset by this new predicament.

However, was _she?_

Sakura was, in no doubt, saddened by his sadness. She wanted to comfort him just as he had comforted her. But that was where her sympathy ended. Itachi might have been devastated to lose his element, but she most definitely wasn't. If anything, she was almost _relieved_ that Itachi lost the same fire that he and his clan had utilized to terrorize and kill their fellow men. Of course, he was still dangerous without it; but if he did decide to hurt others again, he wouldn't be able to burn down the evidence as he had before.

The Haruno groaned and stared at the fruit. Things weren't about her right now. This was about Itachi, and he needed her now more than ever. If he needed her to give him space, she would give him that. Once he felt a little better, however, she would help him shoulder the pain.

The flesh of the serat felt exactly what Itachi described it would feel. Sakura cringed as the cold texture slid against her gums. She might not have eaten meat in a while but had an idea that was what eating raw muscle would be like. At least there was little to no taste, making it more bearable.

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and continued to eat. The fruit was an...interesting meal but was filling. Perhaps she could improve upon it by cooking it, as Itachi had suggested.

Then an image of flames flashed into her mind. Nevermind, Sakura then thought. She could learn to get used to this.

But she could NOT learn to get used to eating alone.

" _Don't worry."_

Sakura stiffened.

" _I'll always be here for you."_

Sakura grunted before taking another bite of the fruit. "I _wish_ I can get used to _you_."

" _Why are you so harsh, Sakura?"_ Inner cooed. " _We used to be so close."_

"I don't remember that ever happening," she remarked. "But if it did happen, then I'm glad I don't remember it. It probably wasn't a pleasant experience."

" _Oh, but it_ was _,"_ Inner told her. " _I was your only friend a long, long time ago. What happened to us?"_

"Stop it," Sakura snapped. "You are _not_ going to play mind games with me."

" _Oh, and you think_ Itachi _will do any better?" the voice_ remarked. " _The man may have lost his fire, but he can still snap your neck in a blink of an eye. He's probably behind you plotting his atta—"_

"I SAID STO—"

"Sakura?"

Sakura placed a hand on her chest. Itachi had finally returned but with worry on his face. It just occurred to Sakura then that to anyone listening to her conversation, it would seem like she was talking to herself. But _wasn't_ she talking to herself? Inner wasn't a real person.

"Sakura?"

"H-Hey!" Sakura waved as he stood before her. "You're back."

Itachi looked around. "Who are you talking to?"

"Nothing, nothing," Sakura tossed her almost emptied half of the fruit to the side. Itachi raised an eyebrow as it flew away, and then stepped back when the other half was shoved to his face. "Now, it's your turn to eat."

Itachi's face relaxed. "No thank you."

"Would you like to eat something else?" Sakura surveyed the area. "There has to be something else to eat."

"I'll be fine," Itachi insisted. "We just need t—"

"Itachi."

Itachi held his breath as Sakura took his hand. The clan survivor thumbed his palm tenderly for a moment, almost hesitantly, before placing the berry in his hold.

"I know you're upset," she told him. "Your clan took away a great a part of you and sentenced you to die. No one is going to blame you for being sad or even angry. I'm not asking you to make a scene but don't pretend that this doesn't bother you."

"I'm not pretending to do anything," Itachi remarked. "I just don't want to eat right now."

"Itachi, _please_ ," Sakura nabbed his other hand.

She and Itachi paused to realize what just happened. Then, with more courage, Sakura looked him in the eye. She was about to persist that he not allow his clan to discourage him from taking care of himself but then saw a familiar look in his gaze. He didn't care about what would happen to him. Chances were, he never did. Itachi had said so himself: he had only been alive this long for the sake of his brother. Now that, that brother was gone, what was he going to live for?

"If you won't do it for yourself, then do it for me," Sakura told him. "I can't be alone in this world, Itachi. Our relationship may be...weird and..unconventional. But you're all I have, Itachi. If I'm going to fight to survive, I need you to be there fighting too."

Itachi displayed surprise once more at her words. Sakura was treating him like he was _important_ again. The man had lived for more than thirty years but not once had someone made him feel like he mattered. The clan only looked his way because of his skills as an assassin. His brother did so just because he was his brother. Sakura, on the other hand...she stood beside him because she _cared_.

"May I," Itachi lowered his gaze, "may I embrace you?"

Sakura blinked. Itachi appeared just as uncertain as she was but filled with yearning. He was also a little scared, as if not knowing how to deal with being cared about, and—so subtly she almost missed it—glad. Sakura grinned and nodded.

Itachi's face brightened as well, albeit more softly, before he, ever so slowly, took her into his arms. Sakura felt small in his large muscles and could tell that he was feeling just as awkward. Yet Itachi didn't pull away. Neither did Sakura. Once she returned his embrace, they pulled each other closer. They have held each other many times before, but today, it felt like they have finally arrived at a destination. A destination they belonged.

Sakura pressed her cheek against his shoulder and pulled away. Itachi no longer looked as tense as before. He clasped the hand Sakura was using to hold the serat and took a bite of his half. He didn't leave her hanging, however. He took the fruit's place with his thumb and gently stroked the lines of her palm.

Sakura smiled, grasped his caressing hand with her free one, and guided him to the stones so he could sit and eat more comfortably.


	17. Your Demons

I didn't plan on publishing this episode today; but I finally found a book worth reading, and with mood music in the background, the words just flowed out from my fingertips. It also helped to get the rest that I desperately needed. Thank God for helping me take care of myself. And thank _you_ for patiently waiting for this chapter. It's a short but insightful one about how recovery doesn't always progress in a straight line, and what matters most is not how many times you fall, but how many times you get up again.

Enjoy!

Mood Music:  
"Taking Over Me" Piano Instrumental by YouTuber Chad Koski  
"Abandoned" by YouTuber Lucas King  
"Remember" by Lucas King

* * *

Sakura crossed her arms as another cold gust of wind blew at her direction. She flinched when her pink locks slapped her eyes, earning them a grunt from the doctor before she irritably swept them to the side. The woods beyond the grove were almost barren, giving the travelers no protection from the gales' vicious assault. The sun was laying to rest on the horizon. The sunlight provided, growing faint as it was, abandoned the setting to make room for the crisp evening.

" _We should start a fire."_

The pinkette tightened her self-embrace.

" _I'm sure Itachi would make a great tinder."_

Sakura slowly turned to the man in question. In response, her loyal companion averted his gaze to meet her widened eyes. The sight of them caused the corners of his mouth to fall.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Sakura immediately looked away. "N-Nothing."

"Are you certain?" Itachi inquired. "You look trouble⸺"

"I said I'm fine."

The pinkette immediately stopped in her tracks, so Itachi stopped his as well. The former Uchiha dared a step closer to the doctor, who had clutched her head in her hands.

"I'm sorry," Sakura breathed out. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. I..."

The both of them waited for her to continue, but no words proceeded. Nothing resounded between them but the howling of the wind. When Sakura's teeth started to chatter, the gravel beneath her crunched twice before she felt a warm hand take hold of her wrist.

"Let's make camp," she heard Itachi suggest.

His touch was comforting, and that both soothed and terrified the doctor. When Sakura's expression wrinkled, Itachi only released her wrist after he had pulled her into his arms. He didn't offer any words of comfort. He only offered his warmth, his evidence of life, as Sakura sobbed onto his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Sakura choked. "I...I don't even know why I'm crying! Why am I crying? I don't...I don't know what's happening."

Itachi leaned his cheek against her crown and pressed her closer to him.

"You must think...I'm crazy," Sakura shook her head. "Why are you...why are you still here?"

"Because I want to be," Itachi answered.

Sakura shook her head again. No, she wanted to say. Don't say you want to be here. Don't say you want to be with me. You're in danger, she wanted to tell him. You're in severe and grave danger.

But none of these words made it past her lips. Not even when Itachi scooped her into his arms and continued walking. The gales intensified as they went along. Fortunately, Sakura and Itachi's body warmth were insulating each other from the frost.

Sakura gripped the front of Itachi's shirt and leaned against his chest. She hadn't expected to be carried on their journey but wasn't protesting. She closed her eyes and listened to her companion's heartbeat. Listen to him breathe too, she told herself. To prove that he was alive⸺to prove that she didn't listen to that horrible voice.

The survivors didn't travel far until they have reached a small cottage. The building was constructed out of brick and mortar entangled by brown, thinning vines. A chimney was positioned at the northern part of its roof, though no smoke trickled out of its narrow pipe.

Sakura and Itachi shared a worried look before Sakura swiftly returned to her feet. Their situation had understandably made them wary of strangers. It wouldn't be wise for them to enter an abode if its inhabitants might report them to the authorities. Or, worse yet, house the soldiers assigned to hunt them down. But the skies were darkening above them, and the winds were blowing with even less mercy. Sakura had to squint to make sure that there weren't any figures watching them through the shaky glass windows.

"Do you think anybody is in there?" she asked.

"We can't know for certain," Itachi responded. "If we were to use this building for shelter, we first have to make sure that it's safe."

Sakura nodded in agreement before slowly approaching the cottage. She closed her eyes and took a breath, trying to ignore the cold to instead focus on the energies around her. She could sense Itachi's chakra behind her, closely following her direction and likely scanning the area as she was.

Their focus intensified when they were directly in front of the cottage's wooden front door. Itachi was the one to press the latch and pull the entrance open, triggering a high-pitched moan from the hinges that echoed into the space within. Sakura clutched Itachi's hand before the two entered what appeared to be the only large room in the cottage. They listened carefully. Silence, save for the muffled howls of the gales outside.

"I'm going to scan the perimeter," Itachi tread forward.

Sakura clenched her hand into a fist when Itachi released it. "Be careful."

The inside of the cottage was much darker than the outside. Sakura could hear her heart pounding onto her eardrums as Itachi scanned the room for traps and hidden residents. The kitchen and the living room seemed to share a space. As did the bedroom, if one counted the queen-sized bed at the far right corner of the area. Sakura held her breath when Itachi entered what she presumed was the bathroom. Fortunately, the isolated space seemed to be miniature in size, and Itachi was back to her side in five quick heartbeats.

"We're safe," Itachi declared. His expression was blanketed in shadow, but Sakura was still able to make out a hint of a smile on his face.

"Good," Sakura exhaled in relief.

After doing a quick surveyance of her own, Sakura deduced that whoever had lived in the cottage had abandoned it long ago. Why, she couldn't guess, for the housing was in good shape. The generator in the bathroom was activated after a few tries. There were even matches and firewood next to the stove, allowing Itachi to ignite a fire in the fireplace. After both he and Sakura had agreed to it, of course. Sakura was reluctant at the start, but she was soon sitting in front of the flames, relishing the heat that melted the rime from her cheeks.

"I didn't need to listen to you after all," Sakura whispered, a grin spreading across her face. "I got what I needed without hurting Itachi. You failed."

 _"At what?"_ Inner asked. " _You're going to have Itachi in front of the fireplace. All you need to do is push him in, and he'll wither to dust."_

Sakura stiffened when Itachi indeed sat beside her. He then took one of her hands and held it on top of his left knee before closing his eyes, as if he needed to reassure her presence to himself before finally letting his guard down. Tears welled up at the roots of Sakura's eyelashes before she turned back to the fire.

" _Here's your chance,"_ Inner insisted. " _Push him."_

"Why?" Sakura mouthed quietly. "Why can't you let him be? He saved me; he's here for me; he...he cares about me."

" _He needs to pay for what happened to Dad,"_ Inner continued. " _Don't tell me you've forgotten already. The man who had raised you all of your life was_ burned to ashes _, and you abandoned him to be swept away by the man who murdered him!"_

"Itachi didn't kill Dad," Sakura hissed. "And I didn't forget Dad. I could never forget him!"

" _If you're not going to mourn Dad's death, at_ _least_ _avenge it,"_ Inner spat. _"Don't live the rest of your_ _life with the man related to your family's murderers."_

"It wasn't Itachi's fault," Sakura shook her head. "It wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault."

" _But it will be_ your _fault if Itachi and his family get away with it."_

Itachi stiffened when Sakura suddenly snatched her hand back. When he opened his eyes, Sakura had clutched her head in her hands once more.

"Sakura?"

"Please," Sakura shook her head again, "you have to...you have to get away from me."

Itachi frowned. "Why?"

"Because she won't stop until you're dead," Sakura curled into a ball. "No matter what I do, no matter what I say, she always comes back and tells me the same thing: you have to die. You have to die, and I have to be the one to kill you."

"Who says that?" Itachi asked. "Who says that you have to kill me?"

"I…" Sakura hid her face and sobbed, "I don't know anymore."

A heavy silence only broken by the crackling of the fire passed between them. Neither Sakura nor Itachi said a word after the pinkette's revelation. A movement was made, however, from Itachi's side.

"Those voices are powerful, aren't they?"

Sakura lowered her hands and turned to Itachi, who had raised his right knee to rest his arm on it.

"They can drive you to do wonderful or terrible things," the former assassin continued. "You don't always want to listen to them, yet doing so sometimes comforts us when we feel overwhelmed and lonely."

"You," Sakura blinked, "you hear voices too?"

"Not necessarily," Itachi answered. "They are more like loud, overwhelming thoughts; though, I suppose the two aren't that different."

"What do you do then?" Sakura crawled toward him. "What do you do when no matter what you do, you can never shut them up?"

"Remember who you are," Itachi answered. "Knowing that their thoughts aren't yours means that you still know that you are not one and the same. Your demons will only yell louder if you ignore them. So remind yourself, again and again, whose say matters more: theirs or yours?"

Sakura's mouth parted in surprise as Itachi met her gaze. His dark gray irises glowed amber at the rims due to the firelight, while the shadows accentuated the contours of his long expression. She didn't realize she was crying again until he thumbed a tear from her cheek.

"I," Sakura gulped, "I miss...my dad."

Itachi smiled and pulled her to his chest. As soon as she was comfortably tucked under his chin, he asked, "What do you miss about him?"

"I miss his poofy white hair," Sakura entwined one of their hands together before refacing the fire, "and the way it always stuck up without any hair gel. I've always thought it was enchanted."

"Maybe it was," Itachi humored. "I, on the other hand, miss his mask."

Sakura chuckled, "He was always trying to hide his face, and I don't know why. He was kind of handsome under that mask. Well, when he shaved off that mustache, of course."

"I also missed his optimism," Itachi added. "He seemed like a cynical guy, but he was always the last person to stop believing in the good in you⸺if he stopped believing at all."

Sakura lifted her head to look at him; though, in her position, she was only able to see the upper ridges of the fireplace. "When did he first believe in you?" she asked.

"Long, long ago," Itachi simpered. "It's a...strange story."

"I'd like to hear it," Sakura told him. "Can you tell me?"

Her response was his muscular arms weaving around her and squeezing her tightly. She grinned when his lips pressed against her hair.

"Sure."


End file.
